The Girl Who Wrote In Silk

The only reason I read Kelli Estes' novel The Girl Who Wrote In Silk (#1,175) was because it was available in my library's Book Clubs Book Bags.  I'm not sure how this book sneaked past all the buzzy notice on Good Reads and Library Thing because it was an absorbing read with tons of issues to talk about at my upcoming book club meeting.  When I mentioned The Girl Who Wrote In Silk to my other book club, the response was overwhelmingly positive from others who had already read it.

The plot ping pongs between two timelines with two different female protagonists: an 1880s American born Chinese woman living in Seattle when her family is driven out by the white population one terror-filled night, and a modern day young woman from a prominent Seattle shipping conglomerate who goes to Orcas Island in the San Juan Straits to sort out the summer estate her beloved aunt left to her.

Their stories are intertwined as the author gradually reveals through the discovery of an exquisite embroidered sleeve found concealed under a staircase in the cottage where Inara Erikson's aunt lived.  Bringing her find to a professor of Asian Studies at the University of Washington sets in motion a train of events affecting Inara's family while revealing Mei Lien's story.

Contemporary readers may be surprised by some of the American history central to the plot; it's not generally taught in schools.  Definitely a worthwhile read.