Dragon Lady
One of the most powerful and feared pirates in history is Ching Shih, who in the early 19th century terrorized China’s South Seas with her massive fleet. Bardot brings this notorious woman to life in full glorious, gory detail. At 13, Xianggu is sold by her parents and delivered to Madame Xu’s flower boat in Guangzhou, where she survives by her wits and sexual skills. When the floating brothel is raided by pirates, Xianggu captivates their leader, Zheng Yi, boss of the fearsome Red Flag Fleet. He marries her and teaches her to sail and swim, raid and murder, yet won’t indulge Xianggu’s ambition to captain her own vessel. So when the opportunity arises, Xianggu seizes control of the fleet and becomes the legendary Dragon Lady, feared by British merchants, the imperial navy, and Chinese villagers alike. But as empress of the South China Sea, with unimaginable wealth and the man she loves at her feet, Xianggu finds there are some things a pirate cannot steal: respectability, and a safe life for her sons.
Bardot’s prose is crisp and suited to the action, depicting a clever and ruthless heroine who can plan a campaign and punish a dissenter with a baby at her breast. Her Xianggu is a businesswoman at heart, concerned with rules, profit, wise governance of her domain, and the safety of the thousands under her command. While raids and mayhem dot the plot, keeping close to the documented accounts, Bardot’s narrative explores Xianggu’s intimate relationships: her friendships, rivalries, pregnancies, and sexual conquests, intertwining eroticism with brutality. Some readers might feel a lack in Xianggu’s inner life; her motivations and fears are simple and direct. But the novel overall is a lively, engaging read that one last copy edit could have made even smoother.
