Product Details

The Story: The novel tells the life story of Empress Dowager Cixi, the last de facto ruler of China's Qing Dynasty. It follows her transformation from a minor teenage imperial concubine named Orchid into a ruthless, politically brilliant ruler who held supreme power over the empire for nearly half a century.The Perspective: True to Buck's famous intimate understanding of Chinese history and culture, the book offers a deeply empathetic yet balanced look at Cixi. It reframes a figure historically demonized in the West as a complex ruler struggling to protect her ancient civilization from internal rebellion and foreign colonial powers.