Secret of a Thousand Beauties by Mingmei Yip… A Review

MingMei Yip is a master storyteller. Her characters quietly move off the page and into your heart. Her stories bewitch you from the very beginning. And I look forward to every new novel that has Mingmei Yip as the author…

Secret of a Thousand Beauties is no exception to Mingmei's incredible storytelling…

We begin with meeting our young protagonist, Spring Swallow, who at seventeen is marrying a ghost. Betrothed before she was born, even though her husband-to-be died, she is obligated to fulfill the contract. What this means to Spring Swallow, is life as an indentured servant to her future mother-in-law. And as traditions go, she doesn't want any part of it. So, Spring Swallow runs away at the ceremony. With nowhere to go, and in a beautiful wedding kimono, Spring Swallow runs into a young girl, who takes pity on her and brings her home. Her home is actually the home of a master embroiderer, who has taken other young unfortunate women in before and thus allows Spring Swallow to stay and learn the trade. It is another form of prison though, and we are swept up in the beautiful art of embroidery, the wonderful culture and traditions of China, and an adventure of a girl, whose grasps at happiness are fleeting at best.

The story will enthrall you and keep you turning those pages until the story closes. Wonderful writing, a story that will wrap around your heart, and a landscape that fascinates as well as entertains. Secret of a Thousand Beauties by Mingmei Yip is story you'll long remember after the final page is turned.

I want to thank the author who sent along a copy of the book for me to read and review! I loved it!

Published by Kensington, Secret of a Thousand Beauties is available now from your local bookstore!