She ruled over her equally weak nephew when her son died at an even younger age. And what was her realm? A country vaster than she could guess, a nation older than history, a people whose number had never been counted, to whom she was herself an alien"). Her position confirmed when she gave birth to a healthy male heir, she then became Regent to her son when Hsien Feng died aged 30 ("For ten years of her young womanhood she must rule in her son’s place. She was originally chosen as one of many concubines to the young Emperor Hsien Feng. This is a biographical novel based on the life of Empress Tzu Hsi (Sacred Mother), the most powerful figure in late 19th century China and the real power behind the throne during the reigns of two of the last three weak Emperors in China. She reveals the essence of this self-involved and infamous last Empress, at the same time she takes the listener through China's struggle for freedom and democracy. Buck's knowledge of and fascination with the Empress's life are contagious. The Empress's rise to power (even during her husband's life) parallels the story of China's transition from the ancient to the modern way. Tzu Hsi was feared and hated by many in the court, but adored by the people. But her singular beauty and powers of manipulation quickly moved her into the position of Second Consort. According to custom, she moved to the Forbidden City at the age of seventeen to become one of hundreds of concubines.
Tzu Hsi was born into one of the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty. Buck recreates the life of one of the most intriguing rules during a time of intense turbulence.
The story of Tzu Hsi is the story of the last Empress in China.
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