Rachel Reads & Reviews

In Heiress Apparently, Gemma Huang’s big acting break led her to Beijing, where she uncovered an incredible family secret. This second novel in the Daughters of the Dynasty series delves further into Gemma’s complex and storied legacy, moving back one generation to tell the story of Gemma’s mother, Lei, as she finds love against the backdrop of 1980s China and the Tiananmen Square protests and makes a difficult decision that forever alters the course of her life.

Technically a sequel, but it’s actually a prequel as Ma dives into the events mentioned in the first novel. The fascinating backstory of Gemma’s mother, Lei, and the courage it took for her to change her life at great sacrifice.

Initially, the narrative style falters as Ma gives exposition through character dialogue. They feel more like props and we’re told who their personalities are rather than shown. This abates near the second act as Lei gets involved with the protesters. Then the dialogue/characterization feels more natural and readers will be able to get invested in Lei’s struggle.

Lei’s emotions are palpable as events conspire to make it clear that her family will never understand her passion for the student protesters and what they’re fighting for. Each betrayal, made out of love and protection hurts even more and readers can understand why the family rift went on for so long. If my family had hurt me like Lei’s had done to her, I’d be slow to forgive too. It is especially poignant as the she comes to realize the extent of her father’s complicity in war crimes.

Lei’s personal struggle as she comes to cement her opinions on the student protests is moving too. She’s always been interested in what they represent, but as she gains friends and helps more often, she begins to see it beyond her own rebellion against her family. She truly believes in their goals and future for a better China, I also enjoy how she tied her own love of art to bringing morale to the student protestors too, and the importance of it as a cultural legacy. Additionally, readers will admire that sacrifices she’s willing to take for her ideals, and in protecting her legacy, finding a way to do both when it seems impossible.

Ma also manages to explain the context behind the Cultural Revolution that occurred 13 years ago, and its effects on the current landscape, and how it is related to what the students are protested/what the current Communist government fears. I also learned how their goals are different from the capitalist thug propaganda that the Communist government portrayed them as. She does this naturally through bite-sized information throughout the story instead of a big info-dump. The descriptions of the massacre, and subsequent crackdown was visceral. The parallels between our current government censorship and the past also can’t be ignored.

Lei’s romance with Delun was sweet and intense, compelling enough with the class differences and the student protests made it more urgent. Delun does seem too perfect, but considering how flawed Lei’s family is, I let it pass. She does need someone who is a bit perfect with unconditional love in her life. Ma does a great job in giving all the family members some depth even as they commit hurtful actions bourne out of love or protection. It was like a prime-time drama, I kept hoping it would work out even though I already knew the bitter ending.

Besides the shaky beginning, the other flaw in this novel is Taiping’s POV. The daughter of Wu Zeitan and Lei’s ancestress, she has a similar conflict of love, family, and duty. However, it is jarring that her interior monologue sounds like a headstrong girl from th 80s, not a seventh century princess. I understand it’s supposed to evoke parallels, but surely there was a way for Ma to convey Taiping’s restlessness in a more formalized language like the other characters in Taiping’s life. Fortunately, she only takes up four chapters and serves as a background mystery for Lei.

The characterization and pathos is stronger in Ma’s sophmore sequel and it’s a great outing combing a coming of age with historical drama and familial soap opera.

4 stars