A review by ovenbird_reads
Peony in Love by Lisa See

4.0

I really enjoyed this. I know almost nothing about the history of China and have no idea if the author depicts 17th century China with any accuracy, but I can't really bring myself to care. The world created was vibrant, infused with ritual, and spectacularly colourful. The book is based on a true story and I was particularly drawn to the theme of women's voices, writing, and power that formed a major part of the narrative. A key theme is a desire to be heard that is so deep it transcends death itself. This is a ghost story, but also a very human tale of desire, love, tradition, repression, and intellect. It speaks to the transformative and even deadly power of the written word and the desire of repressed women to harness some of this energy.

Finally, this is just a good love story--tragic, heart-rending, dramatic. Makes Romeo and Juliet's devotion look laughable (and I never liked that story anyway!). This one is far better.