It must have been 15 years since I last read a Chinese novel/book. It was Romance of the Three Kingdoms and it was one of the best novels I have ever read. I decided to pick up this book simply to read about a different time in the history of China.

The book was okay. I learned new things about China and I felt for the characters. My biggest problem with this book, as others have pointed out, is that even though it is about a woman, she did not have any control over the narrative. Everything about her was depicted from others’ points of views, even dogs’ (which was extremely weird). I’m curious about what this woman thinks and feels but I only get to know what others think and feel about her.