Beautiful story and writing. Great description and insight into life in the 1800s in Canton. So much character development and growth through the twists and turns they faced in life, with a very touching end. I wanted more!

Reminded me of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, which I read around this time last year and absolutely adored.

I did struggle a little during my read with the Cantonese Jyutping words, as they were often slotted into the story without explanation. Only after my read did I realise there was a glossary at the end, which wasn’t very accessible on an eBook unfortunately. 🥲

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & NZ for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.