Читать книгу The Debutante's Ruse - Linda Skye - Страница 3

Author’s Note

When I was five years old, I spent a night in Hong Kong with relatives on the way to the Philippines. I might have been young, but I still remember the towering skyscrapers, the bustling crowds, the overwhelming humidity, and the tantalising smells wafting my way from food stalls. Ever since then, I have been intrigued by the interaction between the East and the West, the struggle between modernity and tradition, and the clash of cultures. This novella is a product of this ongoing interest.

After the Qing Dynasty of China lost the First Opium War in 1841, Hong Kong became a Crown Colony of the British Empire (and remained as such until 1997). Because Hong Kong’s harbour was an ideal trading base, the island quickly attracted many European and Chinese businessmen. But due to colonial attitudes of racial segregation, British merchants mainly occupied the eastern area of Hong Kong (including the elite region of Victoria Peak), while the Chinese were restricted to the western portion (which included Wan Chai and its notorious red light district).

While Isabella Lei Hennessey and Lord Henry James are fictional characters, the world in which they lived was real. Their struggle to see each other past the prejudice and popular attitudes of the time run parallel to the conflicts we still face today in most—if not all—societies. Just as our hero and heroine find love despite their differences, I hope that we too can all look past colour and creed to find joy and friendship.

Linda Skye