Peony in Love

Author: Lisa See
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Random House Publishing, 2007
Pages: 304
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: In seventeenth-century China, an elaborate villa on the shores of Hangzhou's West Lake, Peony lives a sheltered life. One night, during a theatrical performance in her family's garden, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man and is immediately overcome with emotion. So begins Peony's unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorry, the living world and the afterworld.

Eventually expelled from all she's known, Peony is thrust into a realm where hungry ghosts wander the earth, written words have power to hurt and kill, and dreams are as vivid as waking life. Lisa See's novel, based on actual historical events, evokes vividly another time and place - where three generations of women become enmeshed in a dramatic story, uncover past secrets and tragedies, and learn that love can transcend death.

Review: I have read Lisa See before and loved her novels, but I didn't care for this one. Lisa's strength as an author is her knowledge of Chinese culture, and I did learn a lot, but the plot wasn't my cup of tea. Let's file this under "meh."

Other Lisa See Novels:
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane