Madam in Silk bookworm

I was inspired by Ah s tenacity and what she refers to as her inner dragon The hits just keep coming in the years to come and yet Ah doesn t give up She seeks strength and advice from people she respects and trusts Such an important message The book is really well paced and I appreciated that there was a push and pull to Ah s story much like real life Ah also knows her worth despite being beat down and continually told that she s basically worthless or knows nothing because she s female and because of her country of origin and its traditions Just because other people don t agree or respect her doesn t mean she isn t capable of taking care of herself. Madam in silk kindle free If you re looking for a flowing story about a strong female underdog who has an inner flame that cannot be extinguished and will find a way to survive and thrive.

Madam in silkus duosquirmus

Gini Grossenbacher has crafted the story of Mrs Ah Toy s survival in SanFrancisco in the 1800 s a not so friendly place for celestials as they were called in a way that makes you understand and accept Ah s choice of opening first a Looksee shop and later a house to entertain men seeking sexual favors The vivid descriptions of the good and the bad of that era in early SanFrancisco as well as the strong pull of tradition coming from Ah s home country of China make Ah s daily struggles come to life a testament to the extensive research Ms Grossenbacher had to do to accomplish the task I thoroughly enjoyed reading Madam in Silk and have already purchased Ms Grossenbacher s next book 476 This book is incredible The writer has clearly done an enormous amount of research in order to write this book She characterizes the lookee and madam parts of the book sensitively The way of life in San Francisco in 1849 and early 1950s is well depicted with much insight into the way women in general and the Chinese were treated Ah Toy the main character is very easy to like and follow through the good times and during the pitfalls and wish her the best Ah Toy s stamina and will to live a good life in America help her through the many pitfalls in her life I can t recommend this book enough for everyone particularly those liking American historical fiction 476 Is making a living worth risking life and reputation For Au Toy during the American Gold Rush it was There isn t another way When her abusive husband dies from consumption on the journey by ship from China in 1849 Au is left with her freedom but without a way to support herself The price women pay for independence and safety historically is high Many women used the only resource they had their body For Au Toy her choices were even limited due to her bound feet Not wanting to subject herself to prostitution Au opened a Lookee shop instead The San Francisco bay held unspeakable danger though especially when Au was fragile and dainty twenty years old and varmints and ruffians filled the streets Her loyal servant Chen is big and strong yet the two need safer accommodations Mining camps sprang up and men than women roamed the area Au had to be careful with who she allowed inside her shanty for a look but not touch her naked body When one of her observing customers is a policeman from New York assigned to protect the area he unnerves her Ever careful she works to not encourage him or any of her clients And yet John Clark s gentle nature and soft voice give her pause He tells her You are so very lovely Mrs Toy Your skin is like alabaster your hair like spun silk He agrees to pass by regularly on his round for her safety John Clark warms Au and yet she s not sure exposing her heart is a good idea She may never recover Grossenbacher s Madam in Silk is a suspenseful romance to be sure but also a treat for those longing to travel through history She captures the essence of people time period setting and historical events perfectly Her dedicated research is obvious She also captures the dangers and stigma women face in order to make a living no matter the time in history Though an historical account the situation unfortunately exists present day Grossenbacher reminds readers of humankind s ability for cruelty and evil but also for kindness and love A heart warming novel intricately plotted with historical data A valuable exploration too of how women especially foreign women fit into the larger scheme of Gold Rush history 476 Gentle Ah Toy has survived so much in her short life from the binding of her feet in childhood her abusive husband the deaths of her girl babies and arriving in San Francisco with no one but her loyal servant Chen. Epub madam in silk free download I was unable to put down the story of her survival in San Francisco a riveting account of early California and the Gold Rush and the first Chinese people to arrive in that chaotic time Vigilante groups opposed to the immigration of Chinese heap violence upon them Ah Toy s husband s family send thugs to bring her back to China but she loves her independence too much to go back to that kind of life though her Lookee Parlor is not how she imagines her life either She is plucky and courageous and though it means exploiting others by becoming a madam she still offers her workers a better life than most I loved her independence driven mindset her dragon even when love found her and offered her ease and comfort away from the harrowing streets of the city. Madam in Silk ebook download The prose is infused with the taste and scents of her homeland Chen s cooking and encouraging friendship her gentle spirit balanced with the spirit of her inner dragon who knows the men around her underestimate her except for Chen I loved reading the ups and downs of her life the harsh reality of where she might end up if she fails to make it on her own I highly recommend this book 476 Both a romance and a thriller Gini Grossenbacher s well crafted historical novel relates the struggles of Chinese immigrant Ah Toy one of San Francisco s early madams as she strives to attain and hang onto new found autonomy as a woman in her adopted land The issues the book explores while firmly grounded in the author s thorough research on the Gold Rush era and its turbulent excesses remain surprisingly modern Endowed with relatable characters colorful ambiance and high suspense Grossenbacher s Madam in Silk makes for exciting reading as it traces the adventures of a persistent woman 476 This is the first book I ve read by Ms Grossenbacher and surely will not be my last I ordered her other book from when I was in the middle of Madam in Silk This book starts off with a bang as Ah Toy immediately faces death a change of plans and the risk of everything she crossed the ocean for being pulled out from under her by no choice of her own Right off the bat you ve come to the right place For me this is a four star read and a new to me author that I can t wait to read from Thank you so much to the author and HFVBT for the opportunity to read and review Madam in Silk I have voluntarily read this book and the review expresses my own personal opinions 476 This book was received as an ARC from the Author in exchange for an honest review Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own Thank you to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and the Author Listen to your Inner Dragon Madam In Silk is Gini Grossenbacher s second novel in The American Madame Series Ah Toy finds herself along with her dedicated lifelong servant Chen on a ship bond for San Francisco Her life takes a sudden twist when her husband dies on the voyage Stepping off the ship she finds herself in the rapidly expanding world of the San Francisco Gold Rush In a Tragic turn of events her dead husbands well laid plans comes a halt Ah Toy is now destitute and struggles to find employment With time running out and her resources depleted Her lotus bond feet were once highly prized in her native Guangzhou but actually have handicapped her making everyday walking a trial She decides to capitalize on her one true aspect her extraordinary beauty With help from her devoted Chen she opens a Lookee Shop Gini Grossenbacher has written a vividly descriptive atmospheric intriguing well written and irresistible historical fiction here that I absolutely loved and was thoroughly impressed by The characters were extremely interesting compelling and definitely held my full attention Exquisite prose with great pacing and depth Victorian San Francisco comes to life within the pages of this beautifully atmospheric compelling novel Ah Toy s narrative voice allows you to struggle along with her and Chen as the find themselves facing obstacles and dangers on all sides Grossenbacher writing ability shines through in the details of the interaction between the characters themselves To me the the strength of the novel is the trials and tribulations that the main protagonist has survived through Fierce and inspirational Ah Toy must listen to her inner dragon to find her way in this truly stunning beautifully written historical fiction As her notoriety grows so does her attraction to the devoted policeman John Clark Yet should she put her faith in one man Ah s relationship with Chen is definitely worth noting his complete devotion to her was truly heartwarming This is a touching raw heartbreaking and an absolutely wonderful novel that had me emotionally engaged and interested throughout the entire book I was completely immersed in this deeply moving and beautifully written story here I connected with and absolutely loved Gini Grossenbacher writing style This well researched historical fiction was incredible I am definitely looking forward to reading the next installment in her series I also enjoyed the selective placement of Li Po s writing in the book Li Po wrote occasional verse and poems about his own life His poetry is known for its clear imagery and conversational tone His work influenced a number of 20th century poets including Ezra Pound and James Wright The author touches on some critical subjects the position of the Chinese immigrant in the Victorian era and the foundation of the Californi s 19th century sex trade This is a 5 Book GiniGrossenbacher HFVBTBlogTours historicalfiction 476 Find this and other reviews at Grossenbacher s Madam in Silk takes its inspiration from the life of Ah Toy America s first Chinese Madam It s fascinating subject matter especially for those encountering it for the first time but the delivery of this fictionalized version of her life fell a measure short of my expectations. Book Madam in silksong To be fair my middling assessment of Madam in Silk is not entirely Grossenbacher s fault Reviews and ratings are intensely subjective and the one knows of a subject the opinions they have on how it should be approached I admit I found elements of Grossenbacher s work underdeveloped but the root of my opinion rests in the omission of details I wanted to see utilized It is of course ridiculous to expect an author to tell a story in any particular way but it is equally ridiculous for me to pretend my perspective didn t color my experience of this novel All things considered I ask those reading this to accept my comments with a healthy measure of salt. Kindle Madam in silk flowers Getting back to the story at hand I felt the presentation lacking in emotional and contextual complexity Ah for the sake of example decides to open a Lookee Shop after overhearing a group of sailors discussing girls who pose and parade nude Twelve paragraphs later the shop is open and boasting a thriving trade Pardon my candor but where does Ah s business acumen come from We are told she meant to perform translations for her husband s porcelain factory but translation is a world away from full time management of any business How did she a lone woman with no experience in an intensely misogynistic environment even acquire the real estate for this venture And why is the prospect of parading about in little to nothing not explored I understand the driving need to eat but I felt the gear shift from a respectable merchant s wife to peep show performer deserved than a shrug of Ah s shoulders. Madam in silkv voice I also felt Grossenbacher missed an opportunity in failing to utilize Norman Assing aka Yuen Shen a prominent Chinese businessman who wanted Ah Toy out of his way Court records and news reports indicate he tried and failed to have the madame deported in April March 1851. How is chanderi silk fabric The fact that he appealed to the Committee of Vigilance to arrest two men and two unnamed women a mere four months later suggests he was not above aligning himself with the vigilante group Papers Of The San Francisco Committee Of Vigilance Of 1851 The meeting minutes do not link Assing and Toy by name but one could argue she was involved in the investigation as her name appears in a narration of the subsequent investigation only two years later Holinski La Californie Et Les Routes Interoc aniques. Madam.in french Why am I hooked on Assing Probably because traditional Chinese culture is male dominated and I like the idea of a woman using the American courtroom as a mechanism to thematically unbind herself from the rule of norms that imposed both physical and social limitations on her person but that s just me I find this sort of arc far interesting than fictional rivalries and romantic storylines even when historical figures like John Clark offer such tantalizing opportunities. Madam in silkwing When all is said and done I feel Grossenbacher possesses an eye for subject matter and I enjoyed both her exploration of the experiences of female Chinese immigrants and illustration of California s 19th century sex trade I d have obviously preferred she framed the narrative differently but aside from that I d have little trouble recommending her work and look forward to reading her again 476 Thank you Historical Fiction Virtual Tours and the author for a complimentary copy I voluntarily reviewed this book All opinions expressed are my own Madam In Silk By Gini Grossenbacher REVIEW My knowledge of mid 19th century San Francisco and the gold rush etc is not vast Madam In Silk is than a story it s an education I highly respect all of the research that the author obviously poured into this book It s well done without being too heavy The heroine Ah Toy and her lifelong servant Chen arrive in San Francisco after a tragic sea voyage destitute and a stranger in a strange land Ah Toy has no wish to return home How then to survive in this bustling unforgiving landscape She does what women have done since time immemorial uses her body In her Lookee Shop men may look but not touch Her exotic beauty is a desirable commodity and business is good Ah Toy and Chen face many challenges together Failure was not an option This story is a portrait of the resilience and fortitude necessary for survival Determined to make a life for herself Ah Toy exhibits intelligence persistent and a grasp of human nature She was an extraordinary woman who overcame so much and never gave up when others would have Although scandouls I found her inspiring Chen s devotion to Ah Toy was quite admirable as well Compelling unique and informative this story is in some ways a testament to the quite unshakable strength of a woman 476 Very interesting read into the historical aspects of the Chinese women coming over to the United States during the Gold Rush Many of them came over here unfortunately to serve the men s needs while others were trying to escape the horror of what happened to them over there to just have a different kind of abuse happen once they got here It was very interesting to read about how these immigrants had to fight to stay here and often they were taken against their will and put on ship back to their home country back the horrors they thought they had escaped The author did very well with laying out the picture of the Bay during this time as well as the shipping yards and how these people lived I really enjoyed this story and learning about Ah Toy based on a true person I am interested in reading her other books in this series Thank you to the author and Hfvbt for the free book to read and review 476 San Francisco 1849 Despite her objections Ah Toy and servant Chen arrive in San Francisco from Hong Kong after her husband dies aboard ship With little cash and bound feet she opens a Lookee Shop catering to men who pay in gold dust to see her exotic beauty Among them policeman John Clark finds her captivating and they form a strong attraction for one another Yet should she place her trust in this one man Will their love survive despite her frightening encounter with Sydney Ducks After she opens a brothel she and her girls face threats from rival madam Li Fan the lure of opium dens and a tempting offer of wealth and security from importer Henry Conrad Armed with her mystical beliefs of the inner dragon and Goddess Mazu Ah Toy faces much than the journey from the ancient Chinese ways to the new American world In fact she must find the true source of courage in a life or death struggle for her own fate justice and dignity Based on page turning accounts from the life of one of San Francisco s most legendary madams Madam in Silk.