Kunal Basu, the acclaimed author of The Opium Clerk, The Miniaturist, Racists and the bestseller The Japanese Wife, takes you on a fascinating journey of Portugal and China in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Lisbon, 1898: philandering surgeon Antonio Maria, discovers his beloved father is dying of syphilis, scourge of both rich and poor. Determined to find a cure, Antonio sets sail for Peking in China to study under the renowned Dr Xu, in the hope that traditional Chinese medicine has the answer that eludes the West. But the Chinese master is evasive, and when Antonio encounters the alluringly independent Fumi, he finds the first love that will force him to question everything he knew before.
As he wrestles with his disbelief over 'irrational' Chinese views about illness, violence threatens to break out across China. The infamous Boxer rebellion separates the lovers during a siege at the Summer Palace, and Antonio must decide whether to flee or to stay on in China to solve the deep mystery of Fumi's haunted past and discover for himself the Yellow Emperor's cure.
About The Author
Kunal Basu was born in Kolkata, India, and was educated in India and the United States. He is the author of three critically acclaimed novels, The Opium Clerk, The Miniaturist and Racists, and a collection of stories, The Japanese Wife, the lead story of which has been made into an award winning film. He teaches at Oxford University and is married with one daughter.