Looking-Glass World

In 1900, European colonists and Chinese natives face impending catastrophe as the Zodiac cycles end and Boxer warriors spill in from the provinces. Ouyang Jue, a layabout merchant heir, falls in love with Xénia, a French officer's daughter, while they are separated by the widening divide between their two worlds. Will they find paradise or join the ashes of what might have been?

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2021
Publisher: ACA Publishing Limited

A new and prosperous century is dawning upon the European colonists of Tianjin, but for the city's impoverished Chinese natives, the impending end of the Zodiac cycles signifies an imminent catastrophe. In the midst of this turmoil, the fearsome Boxer warriors, believed to be invincible due to their bulletproof armor, are pouring in from the provinces.

Restless streets teem with danger as Ouyang Jue, a carefree layabout and heir to a merchant fortune, crosses paths with Xénia, the daughter of a French officer on her first visit to China. Despite the vast divide separating their two worlds, they find solace and liberation in each other, envisioning a chance to transcend the ordinary and escape their mundane existence.

However, their love is destined to be fraught with obstacles as the growing chasm between their cultures intensifies. Separated by the widening gap, their relationship is a delicate balance between hope and despair. As discontent simmers into a full-blown conflagration, they must confront the harsh reality of their circumstances and decide whether to embrace the paradise that lies behind the glass or join the ashes of what could have been.

Weight: 374g
Dimension: 148 x 225 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781838905149