Susan Geason

Set in the 1850s in China, Su-Yin is sold into slavery by her family who cannot afford to feed her. She beomes a cook's assistant in the house of a powerful government official in Najing, and soon settles into a hard yet not brutal life as she is well-fed, has clean clothes and a bed, and is fairly treated. One day, however, when she is buying supplies in the market, she runs into her estranged older brother, who warns her that the city may soon be attacked by Taiping rebels who have sworn to kill anyone who is Manchu, and that includes the family she works for. This does indeed happen, and Su-Yin is forced to care for the only remaining member of the household, Li-Lin, her master's 4 year old daughter, by pretending she is her sister. With the help of another slave and her brother's friends, can Su-Yin reunite Li-Lin with her family far away? At times quite violent ( heads on pikes, etc) this is a fascinating look at a turbulent time in China's history - especially with regard to the Taiping notion of separating males and females, female soldiers and no foot binding.… (mais)