The title of high-school teacher turned award-winning author Jeannie Lin’s 2013 historical romance, The Lotus Palace, refers to the home of the courtesans in Tang Dynasty China. Due to a red birthmark that covers most of her face, Maidservant Yue-ying is known more for her ingenuity than her beauty. It’s her intelligence that charms Lord Bai Huang, a frisky scholar and socialite. When one of Yue-yong’s co-workers is murdered, Bai agrees to help her investigate the crime. The two soon form a bond that defies their social ranks. But as they grow closer, Yue-ying worries that Bai will only ever see her as his concubine—a role she has sworn she will never play. The Lotus Palace, praised for its historical accuracy and detail, offers a suspenseful tale of lovers held captive by social conventions.
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