Imperial Woman is the fictionalized biography of the last Empress in China, Ci-xi, who began as a concubine of the Xianfeng Emperor and on his death became the de facto head of the Qing Dynasty until her death in 1908.Buck recreates the life of one of the most intriguing rulers during a time of intense turbulence.Tzu Hsi was born into one of the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty. According to custom, she moved to the Forbidden City at the age of seventeen to become one of hundreds of concubines. But her singular beauty and powers of manipulation quickly moved her into the position of Second Consort.Tzu Hsi was feared and hated by many in the court, but adored by the people. The Empress's rise to power (even during her husband's life) parallels the story of China's transition from the ancient to the modern way.
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DNF although Lord knows I really tried to. Got about halfway through before I finally gave myself permission to give up on it. It's not a terrible story in itself, it's just not the story I thought I signed up for when I bought it. I found almost nothing to be admired in the main character. I couldn't root for her at all. I thought she'd be a woman of character I could look up to but instead found myself disgusted with her actions.
