THE TAO OF POISON

Cook’s historical novel follows the travails of a Chinese family in the era of the White Lotus Rebellion.

Qiezi is a teenager who lives with her parents, Yan Xian and Lai Xinru,in late 18th-century China. Qiezi is not like most girls of the time period; she has unbound feet. Although she gets some snickers for her “duck feet,” she can move nimbly through the mountains. She also has an encyclopedic knowledge of plants. While this is invaluable for the preparation of medicinal treatments, her plant explorations have led to her addiction to mantuoluo, “the golden ocean flower.” In small doses, the plant’s effects can be hallucinogenic; in large doses, they can be deadly. Qiezi no longer experiences the “visionary effects,” and her body has adapted in such a way that, if she has sex, her partner will die. Early in the story, she is raped by a government official, whose subsequent death compels Qiezi and her parents to flee. Qiezi makes her way to a nunnery, while her parents meet a woman named Sai’er, who is part of a society with scandalous views on sex; she is eager to induct her new friends. Before the main narrative gets underway, early pages involve a dispute with the family’s neighbor and some carpenters, and the material proves sluggish. The pace does not pick up until the family has to flee, and the author introduces the novel’s most striking elements, Sai’er and her group. The story goes on to incorporate the White Lotus Rebellion and includes compelling details, such as the mechanics of a gu poisoning. Although dialogue can be obvious (“We’re both exhausted and hungry and can’t make clear decisions in this state”), the compelling characters in this peculiar tale keep the reader hungry for more.

A period piece full of memorable characters set in a tumultuous time for Imperial China.