My Splendid Concubine (Paperback)

~ (Author), Anchee Min (Foreword)
Key Phrases: sun instrument, one concubine, adopted uncle, Uncle Bark, Captain Patridge, Lloyd Lqltbou (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

2009 San Francisco Book Festival Winner Honorable Mention in General Fiction 2008 London Book Festival Winner Honorable Mention in Fiction "Packed cover to cover with intriguing characters and plot, a must read for historical fiction fans and a fine addition to any collection on the genre" -- Midwest Book Review "If even half of Lofthouse's narrative is true, it's a stunning work that enmeshes imperialism, modernity, miscegenation and plain old desire in a sweaty matrix of destruction and painful birth." -- City Weekend Magazine "Those who are interested in unconventional romances with an out-of-the-ordinary setting will find plenty to enjoy." -- Historical Novels Review "Hart's struggles adapting to Chinese culture, always feeling the pull and force of his Victorian British background, are compelling. His relationships with his concubine and his concubine's sister are poignant--the novel is as much a study of the complexities of love as it is anything else. A powerful novel ..." -- Judge of 2008 Writer's Digest Self Published Book Awards "Lofthouse eloquently weaves together historical facts into the lives and emotions of his characters ... here is a story that will help you understand how one period can change the direction of the future--all for the love of a single woman." -- Peter N. Jones, Great New Books

"Lloyd Lofthouse has created a rich cast of characters against the exotic and fascinating backdrop of nineteenth century China. Young Robert Hart is a sympathetic character who earnestly seeks to balance his Christian beliefs with his growing love of the Chinese culture. As Hart learns, so does the reader, for the author has skillfully woven lessons of the Chinese culture into the plot and setting." -- Reviewed for PODRAM by Dianne Salerni, author of `High Spirits', First Place Winner in the 2007 Reader View Literary Awards

About the Author

Lloyd Lofthouse earned a BA in journalism after fighting in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine. While working days as an English teacher at a high school in California, he enjoyed a second job as a maitre d’ in a multimillion-dollar nightclub. He now lives near San Francisco with his wife, with a second home in Shanghai, China. Mr. Lofthouse may be contacted through www.mysplendidconcubine.com. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Three Clover Press (February 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981955304
• ISBN-13: 978-0981955308
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #112,278 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Victorian Gentleman in Nineteenth Century China, March 31, 2008

By	D. Salerni (Chester County, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Splendid Concubine (Paperback)

My Splendid Concubine is the story of Sir Robert Hart, a nineteenth century British consular and customs official who, over several decades, grew into a position of unprecedented respect and trust in China. The story opens in 1908 with the Empress Dowager granting an audience in the Forbidden City to an elderly Hart, Inspector General of Chinese Maritime Customs, but the novel is really about Hart's early days in China as a young interpreter.

Hart travels to China in 1854 seeking to redeem himself after a shameful episode of wenching and carousing at college that embarrassed his family. He first meets Sir John Bowring, Governor of Hong Kong, who advises him to study everything around him in an effort to understand the Chinese and learn something new everyday. This is the only advice of its kind he receives from his own people, for Hart discovers that the rest of the Westerners view the Chinese culture with disdain and superiority. His first employer, for example, chastises him for trying to learn Mandarin, saying, "It is their place to understand us. We don't have to understand them."

While most of the British and American officials dismiss the Chinese as superstitious heathens, there is one part of the Chinese culture they are quick to assimilate: the taking of concubines. Hart finds it repugnantly hypocritical that his fellow countrymen should hold so little respect for the culture while indulging their own desires in a manner that Victorian society would condemn. He notes that, "on one hand the Europeans and British were shoving Christianity's message of brotherly love down the Chinese collective throat with the barrel of a rifle. At the same time foreign merchants, mostly British, were selling opium to the populace." Hart hopes to rise above such prejudice and lack of ethics, but finds himself sorely tempted by repeated opportunities to sample a service that the Chinese take for granted and the Westerners are perfectly happy to exploit.

And then Hart meets Ayaou, a fiery and courageous girl from the lowest sector of Chinese society, the boat people. Their startling and memorable introduction - which I will not reveal here - sparks a passion that takes the young Englishman by storm. Hart is willing to bankrupt himself to buy Ayaou from her father, who is selling her to provide for the rest of his family, but circumstances whisk her away and Hart finds himself compelled to buy her sister, rather than let the younger girl fall into undesirable hands.

Suddenly Hart owns a concubine, although not the woman he loves, and he is caught between his own Christian beliefs and the worshipful attention of young Shao-mei, who desperately wants to earn the love of her master. And what of Ayaou, who has been sold to the violent and unstable American mercenary soldier Frederick Townsend Ward? What ethics will Hart be willing to compromise in order to get her back?

Lloyd Lofthouse has created a rich cast of characters against the exotic and fascinating backdrop of nineteenth century China. Young Robert Hart is a sympathetic character who earnestly seeks to understand the Chinese culture in order to win acceptance there, and to find peace within his own soul. As Hart learns, so does the reader, for the author has skillfully woven lessons of the Chinese culture into the plot and setting. The girls, Ayaou and Shao-mei, are individually defined as characters and truly believable as sisters: sensually mature, playfully young, one moment presenting a united sisterly front, and the next moment squabbling with jealousy. And I have not even touched upon the pirates, the mercenaries, the opium dealers, and Hart's philosophizing eunuch servant! Don't pass up this debut novel by an author who will surely continue Robert Hart's saga and legendary career in a second novel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Trip Back in Time, March 23, 2009

By	Linda S. Thompson "Host of AuthorsWebTV.com" (Phoenix Arizona) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"My Spendid Concubine" is a fascinating read that transports the reader back to a time almost incomprehensible to inhabitants of the 21st Century. As an avid reader of historical material, Robert Hart opened doors to places I was unfamiliar with and gave me a sense of being there with him. I have a basic understanding of ancient China, but knew very litle about the every-day lives of its' people from recent generations. Mr Lofthouse has provided us with a valuable and very entertaining resource and I was sad to reach the last page. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next chapter in Robert Hart's life. As host of authorswebtv.com, I've interviewed Mr. Lofthouse, am looking forward to a follow up for the forthcoming "Our Hart."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Period Piece Took Me To Another World, February 16, 2009

By	Tim - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Splendid Concubine (Paperback)

Lloyd Lofthouse's "My Splendid Concubine" is a revelation. Reading it, I was transported to 19th century China and the alluring love story of Robert Hart and his concubine, Ayaou. Rich in detail, lovingly documented by Mr. Lofthouse, the story ranks with the highest order of romance/adventure writing. I got caught up in the narrative, and felt like I was accompanying Hart on his journey. I could not, and did not want to, return home until the book's last page.

Tim Fleming
author, "Murder Of An American Nazi"