Imperial Women is the story of Tzu Hsi, the last Empress in China. In the novel, Nobel Prize winner Buck recreates the life of one of the most intriguing rulers during a time of intense turbulence.

Tzu Hsi was born into one of the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty. According to custom, she moved to the Forbidden City at the age of seventeen to become one of hundreds of concubines. But her singular beauty and powers of manipulation quickly moved her into the position of Second Consort.

Tzu Hsi was feared and hated by many in the court, but adored by the people. 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.

Pearl S. Buck’s knowledge of and fascination with the Empress’s life are contagious. She reveals the essence of this self-involved and infamous last Empress, at the same time she takes the reader through China’s struggle for freedom and democracy.

“A long, richly woven and to me, quite absorbing novel.” – The Nation

“…The details of the secluded life in the Forbidden City, then political juggling of the court, and the increasing pressure from Western powers as the Manchu dynasty breaks up – these contribute to the novel’s movement.” – The New York Times

About the Author: Pearl S. Buck

ISBN: 978-1-55921-035-5
384 pages
$14.95

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