Following the harrowing journey of Lady Lee Su-Mei and her family, Robert Wang's debut novel is a historical drama told from dual perspectivesβChinese and Britishβabout the First Opium War, a tragic and history-altering conflict. Honoring the tradition of noted historical fiction writers such as Ken Follett, Philippa Gregory, and James Clavell, The Opium Lord's Daughter artfully weaves true events and characters into the narrative, offering the reader a selective glimpse into a world populated with rogue drug traders, imperialist government officials, religious zealots, scrappy survivors.
Su-Mei, the eponymous protagonist, is a young woman unbounded by convention. From the moment we meet little Su-Mei, she valiantly resists her wealthy and powerful fatherβone of the largest opium traders in mid-19th century Chinaβwho attempts to force her into the barbaric practice of foot binding. Through her, readers look with fresh eyes upon antiquated and harmful traditions, and understand how time and experiences truly shape a person during their life's journey.
Her defiance sets in motion a series of events, forever altering her fate, as well as the fates of those she holds dear. Su-Mei is forced to rapidly come-of-age and muster her heroic spirit to survive her crumbling world. Taboo romances, tumultuous adventures, and heart-wrenching tragedies befall Su-Mei and her loved ones throughout the course of the story.
The Opium Lord's Daughter is an expedition through the destruction of a culture, underscoring the hold and havoc drug empires continue to exert in society, even to this day. A must read for fans of Shogun, Downtown Abbey, Outlander and other sweeping tales rooted in history! **
Review
Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers Favorite
The Opium Lords Daughter is a historical fiction novel penned by author Robert Wang, which is set during the First Opium War of the nineteenth century. Told from the perspectives of Chinese and English participants, this compelling drama focuses on the intricacies and corruption which take place during the trade dealings with England and China and the opium trade which spreads around the world as a result. Our central heroine is Su-Mei, the title character, whose bold defiance of her fathers traditionalism sets her on an exciting and dangerous course to find her own path amid the good and bad people on either side of the war.
Written for adults due to its graphic content, this is a deeply engaging work which does that magical thing where it entertains but also educates at the same time. I knew very little about this period of Chinese history prior to reading, and Su-Meis character makes it easy to see the injustices of the time, thanks to her more modern sensibilities. Each scene
comes alive with fantastic descriptive work and detailing from author Robert Wang, making for an atmospheric read which really does transport you to the time and place. Character development also plays a huge role, and despite the size of the cast of the novel, each person has due time given to them so that we learn their motivations and involvement with the trade and the war itself. Overall, The Opium Lords Daughter is a superb work which will satisfy any historical fiction fan looking for a new avenue to explore.
Reviewed By Lucinda E Clarke for Readers Favorite
I have just finished reading The Opium Lords Daughter by Robert Wang, which tells the story of the family of Lord Lee Shao Lin, his daughter Su-Mei and his number one son Lee da Ping during the time of the Opium Wars between Britain and China. Many people may not know of the travesty of this unevenly fought war when the British navy attacked China to ensure uninterrupted trade in tea, porcelain, silks, and spices. Since China had no need to import anything from the west, the currency used to buy Chinese goods was Chinese silver which the British obtained by illegally importing opium into China. Everyone was involved, the Chinese merchants, the corrupt customs officials, the addicts who would do what it took to obtain more of the drug. But then the Emperor issued a decree to halt the trade and the troubles begin. At this time, Sue-Mei meets Travers Higgins from Yorkshire and falls in love a cross-cultural affair unheard of and disapproved of
in 1840. The stage is set for an explosive story in more ways than one.
The Opium Lords Daughter is one of the best books I have read this year. I read it in a day and a half and loved every bit of it. The characters leaped off the pages. I connected with Sue-Mei, the heroine, and the words flowed effortlessly. For the hours I was engrossed in this book, I was living in the 1800s in China, surrounded by the sights and smells, the customs and the laughter and sorrow of the young couple and their family. The historical information was woven seamlessly into the story and I suspect the author researched the facts thoroughly, backed up by the pictures in the back of the book featuring many of the real characters mentioned at the time. A fairly balanced argument from both sides which highlights the greed and avarice and arrogance of mankind which has not changed one iota in the last two hundred years. I highly recommend this fabulous book, and I shall file it away to read again in the future. I wish I could award it 6 stars.
Reviewed By Viga Boland for Readers Favorite
The Opium Lords Daughter is the beautiful, but feisty Lady Lee Su-Mei, and as the title states, her father is one of the wealthiest opium traders in mid 19th century China. It is Su-Meis fictional journey to adulthood that Robert Wang explores against the factual background of the Opium Wars between China and Britain, and I must say, Wang has done a terrific job of blending truth and fiction. History buffs will most likely be drawn to the details surrounding the whys and hows of those Opium Wars, but this novel has so much more to offer than facts. The story of Su-Mei is enchanting, heartbreaking and at times simply horrid...
Readers who decide to indulge in Su-Meis story will find themselves on an emotional and intellectual roller-coaster. Characters are beautifully developed and very realistic. Dialogue is plentiful, often amusing as Su-Mei tries to speak English. The depiction of what goes on in the opium dens coupled with some peeks into Chinese sexuality and terminology, e.g. Jade Stalks and Golden Gates, is eye-opening. At the same time, one gets a very clear idea of how important tradition and respect is to the Chinese cultureso different then, and even today, from that of Western society. I
truly enjoyed reading The Opium Lords Daughter. I not only learned a great deal about those Opium Wars but having had the pleasure of visiting Hong Kong back in 2006, it was fascinating to learn its background before it became the magnificent city it is today. Treat yourself to this outstanding novel: writing it must have been a challenge for Robert Wang, but the result is most pleasing. Bravo!
From the Author
I grew up in Hong Kong, a place known to most of the Western world as a tourist destination, a glittering marketplace of luxury goods and exotic dining. But the island has a dark past... It was ceded to England as a British Crown Colony as the result of the First Opium War, which ended with the Nanking Treaty of 1842. On a rainy July 1, 1997, all of Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the New Territories were returned to China, ending an era that the Chinese referred to as one hundred years of shame.
I wanted to write a historical novel about this conflict between England, the superpower of that time, and China, the world's most populated country (over four hundred million people in the 1840s). My goal is to tell a story that is powerfully relevant to our times, when opioid addiction is once again in the headlines.
The main characters in this novel are fictional, but I also incorporated real historical figures and events to tell the story. If the lines are blurred and the reader is engaged, then I will have succeeded in sharing the history of the First Opium War without the reader having to crack a history book.
It has been a longtime ambition of mine to write about the Opium Wars. Growing up in Hong Kong, I witnessed the remnants of its effects more than one hundred years later: rickshaw pullers, coolies, ordinary people, all strung out in public; families destroyed by addiction; and the robust drug trade that fueled the so-called Triad gangsters who took over the opium and heroin trade. I have witnessed firsthand how certain "colonial masters" in Hong Kong treat their "Chinese subjects."
My view of the opium trade changed as I began my research for this book. Of course it was morally unjustified and completely wrong for England to use opium to trade for Chinese merchandise, but the environment of runaway corruption, poor government policies, ignorance, and fear of the outside world in Imperial China played a key role in making it possible for England to get into the opium trade in such a big way.
History is more than academic theories--it is the stories of real people affected by events put in motion by other real people. I hope that by the end of my book, you, the reader, come away with an understanding of how and why the Opium Wars took place and are intrigued by both the fiction and the history. Thanks for reading!
Let Knowledge Be Our Guide, Robert Wang