Following the harrowing journey of Lady Lee Su-Mei and her family, Robert Wang's debut novel is a historical drama told from dual perspectives—Chinese and British—about the First Opium War, a tragic and history-altering conflict. Honoring the tradition of noted historical fiction writers such as Ken Follett, Philippa Gregory, and James Clavell, The Opium Lord's Daughter artfully weaves true events and characters into the narrative, offering the reader a selective glimpse into a world populated with rogue drug traders, imperialist government officials, religious zealots, scrappy survivors.Su-Mei, the eponymous protagonist, is a young woman unbounded by convention. From the moment we meet little Su-Mei, she valiantly resists her wealthy and powerful father—one of the largest opium traders in mid-19th century China—who attempts to force her into the barbaric practice of foot binding. Through her, readers look with fresh eyes upon antiquated and harmful traditions, and understand how time and experiences truly shape a person during their life's journey. Her defiance sets in motion a series of events, forever altering her fate, as well as the fates of those she holds dear. Su-Mei is forced to rapidly come-of-age and muster her heroic spirit to survive her crumbling world. Taboo romances, tumultuous adventures, and heart-wrenching tragedies befall Su-Mei and her loved ones throughout the course of the story.The Opium Lord's Daughter is an expedition through the destruction of a culture, underscoring the hold and havoc drug empires continue to exert in society, even to this day. A must read for fans of Shogun, Downtown Abbey, Outlander and other sweeping tales rooted in history!
Born in Japan and raised in Hong Kong before moving to the United States nearly 50 years ago, Chinese-American businessman and entrepreneur Robert Wang, being both bi-cultural and bi-lingual, has a first-hand perspective of both Asian and Western cultures and their entwined history. Since he first learned as a schoolboy how this original "drug war" formed the basis for modern Chinese politics and history, Wang had been fascinated by this pivotal period, which became the catalyst determining how modern China has been shaped - and hindered - by Western colonization.
Even after settling in the United States, starting a family and becoming a successful entrepreneur and a pioneer in the aerospace industry, Wang remained an ardent Sinophile, fascinated with the lessons and impact of the Opium War and its aftermath. This passion only grew as Wang took note of the modern parallels - particularly the current opioid crisis - that echo similar events and actions from this earlier period.
Wang spent years researching the history, facts and fictions of the Opium War, talking to numerous experts on the subject, both in the United States as well as on Mainland China. In 2018 he embarked on an intensive research trip to Guangzhou (Canton), the nexus of the opium trade and the ensuing conflict, and was granted rare private tours of its museums, led by some of China's pre-eminent scholars on the topic.
