Opium Lord's Daugher

Following the harrowing journey of Lady Lee Su-Mei and her family, The Opium Lord's Daughter is a work of historical fiction told from dual perspectives-Chinese and English-about the First Opium War, a dramatic and history-altering conflict. Su-Mei is a young woman not bound by convention, particularly the convention of foot binding. When we are first introduced to Su-Mei, the main character from which the historical novel The Opium Lord's Daughter derives its name, her heroic spirit is foretold as she valiantly resists her wealthy and powerful father-one of the largest opium traders in mid-19th century China-as he attempts to force her into this barbaric practice. Her defiance sets in motion a series of events forever altering her fate as well as the fates of those in her crumbling world. Through Su-Mei, readers are able to look with fresh eyes upon antiquated and harmful traditions and understand how time and experiences truly shape a person during their life's journey. Following in the tradition of noted historical fiction writers such as Ken Follett, Philippa Gregory, and James Clavell, Wang's novel 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, and scrappy survivors. Readers are treated to a coming-of-age story filled with romance, adventure, and tragedy. Wang takes us on an expedition through the destruction of a culture, while underscoring the hold and havoc drug empires continue to exert in society, even to this day.