– I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. –
Published by Henry Holt & Company on 10 Jan 2017
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Inspired by the secret life of the author’s grandmother, Lotus follows a young woman as she defies her fate and escapes to the city and all it holds for her—be it love, danger, or destiny.
Surviving by her wits alone, Lotus charges headlong into the neon lights of Shenzhen, determined to pull herself out of the gutter and decide her own path. She’s different than the other streetwalkers—reserved, even defiant, Lotus holds her secrets behind her red smile.
The new millennium should’ve brought her better luck, but for now she leads a double life, wiring the money home to her family and claiming she earns her wages waiting tables. Her striking eyes catch the attention of many, but Lotus weighs her options between becoming the concubine of a savvy migrant worker or a professional girlfriend to a rich and powerful playboy. Or she may choose the kind and decent Hu Binbing, a photojournalist reporting on China’s underground sex trade—who has a hidden past of his own. She knows that fortunes can shift with the toss of a coin and, in the end, she may make a choice that leads her on a different journey entirely.
Written with compassion and vivid prose, Lotus was inspired by the deathbed revelation that the author’s grandmother had been sold to a brothel in her youth. With compelling insight, Lijia Zhang reveals the surprising strength found in those confronted with impossible choices.
I chose this book because…
I’m all for stories about women making their way in the world, especially Asian women. Also, gorgeous book cover. The topic is also interesting to me, because recently my roomie helped organise a screening of the documentary film Save my Seoul with Jubilee Project, which “[explores] the hidden but rampant world of prostitution and sex-trafficking in Seoul, South Korea.”
Upon reading it…
The characters fell flat for me, which made it hard to get into the book. To me, the characters felt very one-dimensional and didn’t have complexity. There were hints about secrets from their past, but I didn’t feel that they revealed anything new about the characters. In between the dialogue, the narrative felt more like a research report that simply explained the issue of prostitution in Shenzhen, rather than showing me the complexities and humanity of these prostitutes.
Hu was a sketchy character for me. I was hoping to warm up to him by the end, but I felt the same when I finished the book. He had a saviour complex and acted like he was so honourable, but he came off to me as a womanizer. Underlying all the “altruistic” things he did for Lotus and her friends was his own self-interest to move forward in his career. I was hoping for an inspiring reason for why he started upon this photography project, but I found Shadan’s reason for pursuing law much more moving.
From the blurb of this book, it seemed like there would be many paths for Lotus to choose from that would require deep introspection, but these men would just appear in the narrative and then disappear to give way to another man. Except for Hu, who was always there. Unfortunately I was bored by him, but perhaps that’s because I didn’t care for his character.
What I didn’t find in this book, I found in A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo, which I finished a few days before starting this one.
★★☆☆☆
Life is very bitter. Why can’t I have something that makes me feel better?
The thing about ghosts is that you can’t completely believe in them, but you can’t rule out their existence, either.
A relationship is like a pair of shoes. Only those inside them can tell if they fit or not.
But an age without romance would be a dark age.
If she wants stars, will you go up to the sky to pick them for her?
Drink more. Then nothing matters.