The Pavilion of Forgotten Concubines

(Paperback)

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Description

In the closing years of the eighteenth century, the once great Qianlong dynasty languishes in a morass of corruption and waste. The emperor, formerly the powerful ruler of a thriving dynasty, is now the feeble tool of his devious minister, Heshen, who plies his ruler with opium and whispers shadowy innuendos into his receptive ear. This dark stagnancy is abruptly interrupted when the English envoy of King George III refuses to perform the traditional obeisance: the kowtow. The Imperial Interpreter Second Class, the alluring Lady Cao Baoquin, assigned to the English embassy, is consequently incarcerated in the Pavilion of Forgotten Concubines, destined to end her days among these forlorn flowers of decades past. Lady Cao, however, is much more than she appears to be; rumors whisper of her mysterious association with the much-revered author of the Dream of the Red Chamber - a novel as politically dangerous as it is galvanizing. Loved by a stalwart Dutch diplomat, coveted by the Grand Censor, and scorned by the power-seeking Heshen, Lady Cao is a delicate pillar of indomitable strength and fortitude. Set amidst the intrigue of a dilapidated court, The Pavilion of Forgotton Concubines is a work of lyrical eloquence in which one woman emerges as the most unexpected of heroes; a woman who, through the indomitable power of her ink-reed, will defy an empire.

Reviews

"Wiersinga has written a highly original novel...fraught with suspense, and delineated with exceptional clarity..."- Andr Oyen, jury member of the annual Flemish Literary Top 20 "Not only does Wiersinga revive the China of bygone days, he is also a master in the art of corresponding. Without realizing it, you read those letters as if they were addressing you..."- Ezra de Haan, in Literatuurplein (Literature Square)

Author Bio

Pim Wiersinga launched his career with Honingvogels (Honeybirds, 1992), a novel situated in the Antwerp Zoo during the roaring twenties. Mr. Wiersinga is a bi-lingual writer whose subsequent work, a massive canvas set in Antiquity, Gracchanten (Gracchae, 1995), demonstrates his dedication to the craft of historical fiction. Mr. Wiersinga is currently completing a novel on Eleonora, Duchess of Aquitaine.