This biography focuses on a lesser-known chapter of Wallis Simpson’s life - her years in China during the 1920s. The author paints a vivid picture of the woman who would later famously captivate Edward VIII.

As an avid reader of books on the British royal family, this was surprisingly my first deep dive into the life of Wallis Simpson. She remains, for me, one of the most enigmatic figures ever associated with the monarchy. I appreciated how thoroughly researched and richly detailed this book was—it offered many insights I hadn’t encountered before and presented Wallis as a complex and compelling woman.
That said, I did find parts of the narrative somewhat repetitive. By the final chapters, this began to wear on me a bit and slightly impacted my overall reading experience. However, the strength of the research and the engaging writing style still make this a valuable read.
I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the British royal family, interwar history, or women's lives in the early 20th century. It offers a unique perspective on Wallis Simpson that goes beyond the familiar headlines.

I enjoyed the opening of this book and was eager to learn more about the woman and the background to this historical event. The writing was engaging but from my subjective point of view I found the repetition of ideas and the attempts at suspense not really to my liking.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Whoa! I love learning about the Royal Brotiah family and thise that marry into it. Wallis has always been an intriguing figure. I had never heard of this time she spent in China. Wildly engaging, interesting and masterfully done.

Very disappointing
I read Paul French’s last wo books and they were terriffic. This was not.
Wallis Simpson is a bit player in this with overreliance in her unreliable memoir.
French draws superficial portraits of China in the 1920’s and then drops in Simpson from time to time.
Repetitive and not deeply researched., the book is neither satisfying as a history of China in theis period and particularly unsatisfying as an in-depth potrait of Simpson during this time.