This is the best book I've read in months. After being disappointed by several lacklustre novels by some of my favourite authors, Tan came through for me. The story of Violet, daughter of Lucretia, and the lives of courtesans in Shanghai is compelling. The world Tan creates is vivid, and her characters entirely believable.

The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is that the story became a little too expository towards the end, with an extended denouement that was boring compared to the rest of the story.