The Last Empress

The last decades of the nineteenth century were a violent period in Chinas history, marked by humiliating foreign incursions and domestic rebellions and ending in the demise of the Ching Dynasty. The only constant during this tumultuous time was the power wielded by one woman, the resilient, ever-resourceful Tsu Hsi -- or Empress Orchid, as readers came to know her in Anchee Mins critically acclaimed, best-selling novel covering her rise to power. The Last Empress is the story of Orchids dramatic transition from a strong-willed, instinctive young woman to a wise and politically savvy leader who ruled China for more than four decades. In this concluding volume Min gives us a compelling, very human leader who assumed power reluctantly and sacrificed all to protect those she loved and an empire that was doomed to die. *This book may have remainder mark and minor shelfwear*