Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a long time fan of Edward Rutherfurd. His previous novels span thousands of years and many generations of the same families. That is what I had hoped for with China. However, this novel covers less than a century. Unlike the description we don't follow Chinese history through Mao and into the present. It was incredibly disappointing in that regard. In regards to a novel that weaves characters together in unlikely ways this was well done. A good historical fiction book, but not the saga we have come to expect from Rutherfurd.

Fascinating history of china, like all Edward Rutherford's books it is a compelling read, with faultless research.

Bestselling novelist, Edward Rutherfurd, has at long last given us another of his magnificent sagas. China: the novel – opens in the lead up to the Opium Wars, takes the reader through the Taiping Rebellion and the destruction of the Summer Palace in Beijing, before leaving the reader after the Boxer rebellion. The stories surrounding these events feature the people of China, from the very humble to the royal and everything in between as they are led kicking and screaming to interact with the outside world.

Edward Rutherford has another masterpiece on his hands.From the first page you are transported to China in the 1800’s and held captive right till the end. The best book of 2021 for me so far.