"A story about the enduring power of female friendship and a fascinating insight into Chinese womens history, rituals and the politics of footbinding. Absolutely exquisite."
"Facinating portrayal of the politics of upward mobility & the marriage market in 19th century New York. A more complex plot in terms of human psychology than it appears on the surface."
"This book alerted me to the power of poetry - there's no experience quite like finding the one poem that manages to articulate exactly what your'e feeling, however complicated!"
"Full of intrigue, atmosphere and suspense. Contains one of the best characters ever written in English literature - the evil housekeeper Mrs Danvers."
