Empress Dowager Cixi wasn’t born into power – she took it. After participating in a 19th century version of The Bachelor, Cixi was chosen as one of the Emperor’s concubines. In part one of this two-part series, Cixi uses her cunning, wit, and scrappy attitude to rise through the ranks, eventually becoming one of the most powerful Chinese empresses of all time. But getting power is one thing – keeping it will prove to be an entirely different challenge.

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Jeanine Cummins, SPEAK TO ME OF HOME: A Novel