The Secret under the Mahogany tree (Paperback or Softback)

Set in Ming Dynasty China, where tradition forbids women from mastering the art of chess, one young woman dares to defy the rules that bind her.

Jin Xiaomei is seventeen when she realises her future has already been decided for her. Raised within the Plum Valley Chess Club, she has absorbed strategy, discipline, and insight

since childhood - yet her father, the club's master, forbids her to play. Chess is a man's world, and tradition is law.

Unwilling to surrender her talent or her independence, Xiaomei disguises herself as a young man and secretly travels between rival chess clubs, testing her skill, sharpening her mind, and earning both admiration and enemies. Each victory brings her closer to the ultimate challenge: the Emperor's Grand Tournament, where the finest players in the dynasty compete

for the title of Grand Master.

Beautifully translated into English.

Feng Ping was born in Shanxi province, China. She gained her Ph.D. at the University of Warsaw, where she studied International Relations with a focus on China's foreign policy towards Central Eastern European countries. She plays chess, enjoys classical music, and reads widely. This is Feng Ping's fourth book. Her book Four legendary woman of ancient China is also published by Heartspace Publications.