Heather’s Bookshelf: The Flower Boat Girl
Author: Larry Feign
Released: 06/27/21
Genre: Historical Fiction
“My thumb met sharp metal. He figured out what I was doing; letting go of my neck, he reached for the cutlass, but it was too late. My fingers found the hilt. Everything that every Punti had ever done to me, had ever said to me, had ever thought of me—everything they meant to do to me now, everything they were doing at this moment to the men and women I lived among on this cursed ship—coursed through my veins into my fingers. Of its own free will, the cutlass swung through the air.”
“The Flower Boat Girl” is based on a true story about a young woman named Yang, living in South China in the early 1800s. The story is told through her voice and begins with her life as a “flower boat girl”- sold by her father into a life of prostitution. Saving up enough money to leave that life behind, she is kidnapped by a group of pirates and taken as the wife of their leader.
Yang struggles with her position and wishes for more for herself. She tries to imbed herself in learning things like language, reading, writing, piracy, and aspects of running a ship. Her tumultuous (to say the least) relationship with her husband and his pointed expectations often clash with her own wishes and desires.
Yang finds herself in one dangerous situation after another while also dealing with introspection and personal relationships. Will she be able to overcome all these obstacles in order to achieve her dreams?
Trigger Warning: sexual situations, prostitution, rape, adult language, wartime violence and torture
Overall, I found this story intriguing. The author did a great job of combining a story that moved along with enough historical details that made it feel authentic. The tale takes place in a time and place I am not super familiar with, so I really enjoyed reading about something different. While the setting was fascinating, the protagonist made the story. She’s complex, driven, broken, and a dreamer. I loved following her on her journey. Don’t get me wrong, she went through some absolutely terrible things, but her desire to have more and be better was absolutely relatable and enviable. There were a couple of plot details that seemed either incomplete or rushed — I don’t want to give anything away, but I wish the part with the opium especially was a little more delved out. I was also a little confused/unconvinced by Cheung Po Tsai's' character. The ending was also a little unsatisfying for me. I felt the arguments dragged on and were lacking the punch that I really wanted Yang to end with, though it did feel like a complete resolution.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
An intriguing story about a strong woman in an interesting time. The ending left me wanting something as impactful as the rest of the novel.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Larry Feign
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Find it for purchase here
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