The Dragon From Guangzhou by DW Plato
The Dragon From Guangzhou
By DW Plato
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Ratings 4.6/5
Synopsis
One of the most notorious pirates during the Qing dynasty was born a woman in the wrong century. Mógū's life had a rough start. Born in a poverty stricken fishing village, she was discarded like yesterday’s trash and left in a depository at a Buddhist temple when she was a small girl. Nuns raised her until she reached puberty. Like many of the unwanted daughters of Guangzhou, Mógū became a prostitute on a flower boat. Her favorite client, Zheng Yi, kidnapped her not only because she was beautiful and intelligent but because it was 1801 and uncommon for a successful man not to take a wife, pirate or not. Being a savvy business woman, Mógū negotiated the first documented prenuptial agreement turning a bad situation into a golden opportunity. Mógū learned to live the life of a pirate which included sword fighting and how to shoot a pistol. Plundering was exhilarating and oftentimes, bloody. She bore her husband two sons and was happy for a while until the sea took the man she had grown to love. It was assumed she would take his money and disappear. Instead, she made her way into the history books by partnering with Yi’s right-hand man, Po Tsai, and taking charge of his fleet. Once she mended family disagreements, she merged her fleet with Zheng Yi’s brothers and created a profitable income from a ‘protection tax’ in Dai Nam (Vietnam). After years of fighting with the Qing Dynasty, the Portuguese and Brits, Mógū negotiated amnesty for her and her band of outlaws. Hoping to find peace and happiness to fill the void of her life's losses, she became the owner of her own gambling house and brothel in Macau.
My Thoughts
From the author of Glue (Dacia's Diary Book 1) (2017) comes another brilliant historical novel set in China. Reaching back in time of 18th century. A compelling read and surprisingly easy to follow, given its exotic complexity. Brilliantly eliminates the time.
This book was lushly written, with a meticulous eye for detail. Now the narrative and characterization, the parts that matter most. I personally found the characters quite emotive, while some people found them dry. I liked it. The plot moved along at a good pace.
An amazing piece of literature, reading this was an incredible experience. Poignant, funny, metaphysical, tragic, allegorical, psychologically profound, and highly entertaining, it bridges the worlds of historical events, dreams and "reality," and is a truly astonishing achievement. Reading does not get any better than this.
The Dragon from Guangzhou is majestic, splendid, lush, relentless and beautiful in all the ways you’d expect it to be. An excellent fictional look at a neglected, but fantastic piece of history, and a wonderful way to get swept away by the winds of history.
It’s a stunning work. You should read it.
It’s a stunning work. You should read it.
Highly Recommended!
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