Welcome to Litsy!

I was underwhelmed by this book. It was compelling in parts. But when I finished, I spent more time thinking if the inconsistencies in the characters than anything else.

My book club recently had a conversation about cultural appropriation in literature. So now I wonder, can I like this book about a Japanese woman marrying a crown prince when it is written by a white American male? What would be different if it was written by a Japanese writer? How much should the author identity affect the feeling of the story? #quandries

This novel was a remarkable, melancholy story of a look inside the royalty of China. Rich with tradition and imagery that leaves even me speechless, the characters are just as in depth as the very plot that drives them.