The Silk Merchant's Daughter

Dinah Jefferies is my personal favorite. This is the third book that I have read of hers. Captivating storyline, beautiful character building. It takes you to a different world. Must read for romance, history and story

Great read

Once past the first few chapters the pace really picked up and I ready the 2nd half of the book in a day and couldnt put it down. Nicole is a likeable character who you want to see achieve and the best for her. A nice romance story but also true to the time and era. An interesting read and take of those years in Vietnam especially as it's set in different places and not Saigon so got to read about how other places were effected.Secondary character were also likeable would love to of heard more about her best friend O-Lan and what happened to her also to read more about her meeting her child hood carer Lisa after all the years apart. But otherwise an enjoyable read, being the 2nd book of Dinah Jefferies I am looking forward to reading more of her books

From the first page I was drawn into the exotic world of Vietnam in 1952. You can almost smell the fragrant flowers that Nicole pins in her long hair, and hear the cries of street sellers. Dinah Jefferies is a genius at conjuring up the colour and atmosphere of her Far Eastern locations (I loved this in Tea Planter's Daughter as well).In this book I was fascinated to learn more about the period as French rule was drawing to a close in Vietnam and the Vietminh resistance was growing in strength. I visited the Hanoi prison museum last year and saw the stocks in which prisoners were held by the ankles on hard stone, barely able to move, and it's clear the French were very harsh colonial rulers. We see both sides in this novel because it follows the story of Nicole and her sister Sylvie, born to a French father and a Vietnamese mother. Nicole has inherited her mother's looks while Sylvie appears French. As the tension heightens Nicole is forced to choose between her family and the country she loves and, like her, we have no idea who to trust. The handsome charismatic American Mark? Local man Tran, who is the cousin of a close friend? Her sister?It's a fast-moving drama that will have you glued to the edge of your seat, turning pages to find the next twist. I found myself going to bed early all week just to get my fix. Now I'm looking forward to Dinah Jefferies' next novel. Hope it's coming out soon.

Had this been the first time of reading this Author's book I would not have read any others. The Tea Planters Wife was my first read. I loved it so much that I bought all her others.War is a horrific experience that I'd prefer not to read about. However I persevered to the end and decided that I should have stopped after a third of the way through because it continued in the same vein to the last page.No argument that it is well written and the subject thoroughly researched, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the other books of hers that I've read.So much hardship and brutality, intrigue and tension all the way through was a total turn off. This teaches me to look more carefully at my choice of Authors.

Totally enjoyed the first half of the book, would even go as far as saying it was hard to put the book down. I only knew basic facts of what went on Politically in Vietnam, so it was very interesting to read about it within the setting of familylife. The second half was however getting very predictable and consequently very disappointing and hard going. I found I just skimmed the last 3 rd of the book. Such a shame for something that I could not put down in the beginning

This beautifully written book is so full of atmosphere that the reader will feel as if they have visited the country and not just read about it. Add to this, complicated characters with huge issues to deal with, both in their past and their present; and truly shocking events interweaving their lives.....and you have the basis of this thrilling and disturbing novel.A very good read.