The Girl Who Wrote in Silk

I thoroughly enjoyed this story; read it in just over a day. Another tale that tells two stories, one in the past and the other current. I had not heard of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and didn't know much about the ethnic cleansing that occurred and was not included in my history classes. The layers in the story come from the story itself, not from the depth of the writing. Really only the two main characters are explored in any detail, but that's alright.

This is probably a 3.5. The story was compelling. The writing was not particularly sophisticated which is the reason for 3 stars. However, I would highly recommend it for several reasons. First of all, did any of you study the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882? how about the Seattle Riot of 1886? I know I didn't. What an eye opener to the horrific treatment of the Chinese immigrants. Although the story is completely fictional it is a depiction of the type of treatment received by West Coast Chinese in the late eighteen hundreds and well into the 20th century.

For those who love handwork, the description of the embroidery is fascinating and will send you off on a quest to view authentic embroideries. The book moves fast and is well worth the show more read even though the romance side of it is a little soap opera-y show less

Really enjoyed this story. The setting is Orca's island. Historical fiction based on the Exclusion Act of 1882 and the racism against Chinese Americans. Beautifully written. Really enjoyed the characters and the beautiful surroundings. Held my interest and I became invested in the outcome. Love when I read a story that captivates me enough to spark interest in a subject I have little knowledge about.

An engaging and poignant story about the violent treatment of Chinese immigrants on the North American West Coast in the late 19th century. In the current time, Inara revisits her late aunt's SJI estate and finds Mei's intricate embroidery hidden in the staircase. Uncovering the story behind Mei's long-forgotten handiwork leads to tragic discoveries about Inara's family and the opportunity for her to make things right.

I just finished a marvelous novel from Kelli Estes. It is called The Girl Who Wrote in Silk. I just loved this book and did not want it to end. The book starts out in February 1886 in Puget Sound, Washington Territory. Liu Mei Lien (Liu is her surname) works with her father in his shop in what is now Seattle in Washington Territory. The white people in the area are not happy with the Chinese. They do not like them coming in and taking their jobs. Mei Lien dresses like a boy as protection when she is out in the city (a girl could be attacked). One morning just after Mei Lien awakened there are white men outside their homes with weapons. All the Chinese are being escorted out of the city to a ship called the Prince of the Pacific. Mei show more Lien, her father, Liu Huang Fu, and her grandmother (who is frail) are forced onto the ship (and have to pay for passage). The ship is to take them to San Francisco. Once the ship is underway Mei Lien overhears Duncan Campbell (owner of ship) talking about the Chinese on the ship. Campbell has no intention of allowing the Chinese to stay on his ship. He is going to dump them into the water when they get far enough out. When Mei Lien tells her father what is going to happen, he gives her his money bag and, when they are near the last island before open water, he pushes her off the ship.

Inara Erickson has just inherited her Aunt Dahlia’s estate on Orca Island called Rothesay (near Seattle, Washington). Inara loved going their when she was younger before the death of her mother. Inara has just graduated from graduate school (majored in business) and has a job lined up at Starbucks. Inara is a descendant of Duncan Campbell. Her family runs the business Campbell started. It was originally called Campbell Lines but is now called Premier Maritime Group. PMG is run by Charles Erickson (Inara’s father). Charles has high expectations for his daughter. He expects her to sell the estate and return to Seattle. Inara is exploring the house when she discovers a loose step in Aunt Dahlia’s house (she lived in a little house behind Rothesay). There is a cloth wrapped bundle in the step. When Inara unwraps it she finds a beautifully embroidered blue silk sleeve. It has lovely silk embroidery picturing scenes. Inara would like to discover more about the sleeve. She feels that it is important. Inara calls Dr. Daniel Chin who teaches China studies.

This sleeve leads Inara and Daniel on a journey into the past. We get to find out what happened to Liu Mei Lien after she was shoved into the water near Orcas Island. It is amazing how the past can affect the present. This is a moving book that will captivate you from the very first page. I give The Girl Who Wrote in Silk 5 out of 5 stars. This is one of the best books I have read this year. The Girl Who Wrote in Silk is superbly composed. It is one of those books that you will continue to think about for days after you have finished reading it. This is Kelli Estes first novel and I impatiently await her next book.

I received a complimentary copy of The Girl Who Wrote in Silk from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own. show less

The heart of this novel is the tragic history of many Chinese immigrants living in the US in the late 1800's. Racism and fear once again rear up their ugly, dangerous heads causing deplorable mistreatment, expulsion, beatings and massacres of innocent, hard-working Chinese men, women and children.

And shamefullyI knew just a tiny bit of the story of the mistreatment of Chinese laborers but never learned the full horror of their lives and deaths. As always I can not fathom the why of hate of one group of people against another. I wonder but doubt if there is any country in the world which has historically treated immigrants kindly and well.

The rest of the novel is mundanely pleasant and romantic.

Good read because it taught me more of show more America's sad history. show less

It was a wonderful read that really drew me in. The connections of the modern day characters was a little too much of a stretch for me and the conflict resolution toward the end was a bit too easy/not realistic. I did love that there are some aspects of the past that the reader knows about that the modern day characters don't figure out.