Well-written historical fiction immerses us into the past as surely as a movie might pictorially show us a scene. In “The Fourth Princess,” author Janie Chang takes us to China in 1911, and we learn about the Boxer Rebellion and the endangered Imperial dynasty. The action is set in Shanghai, and the story is cleverly told through two points of view. Liu Lisan (first names are second in China) is an orphan taken in by a wealthy bachelor from a very important family. She was educated at private schools, but wants to make her own way in the world. The other main character, Caroline Stanton, is a newly arrived wealthy American who wants to hire a secretary to help her with her social obligations. Instead of hiring an American, she decides that a Chinese secretary might be more useful.

Lisan is thrilled when Mrs. Stanton hires her. Caroline seems kind and down-to-earth, and she appreciates Lisan’s intelligence and knowledge of Shanghai businesses. Lisan knows the best tailors, the best patisseries, the best florists. Her penmanship is exquisite, and she is polite and discreet. Caroline’s husband came to Shanghai to be with his uncle, Mason. Together they plan on investing in Chinese railroads. While Thomas Stanton is a millionaire in his own right, Caroline brought her immense fortune into the marriage.

What we learn is that there are questions about both Caroline’s and Lisan’s backgrounds. While Lisan’s narrative describes her strange, realistic nightmares, Caroline’s narrative is not as open and aboveboard, although that is not clear at the start. Both women have been lied to although their reactions when they learn about the mandacity could not be more opposite.

This novel is described as gothic, and there is indeed an entity that seems to be haunting the mansion where Lisan works. Although it’s not difficult to guess the identity of the entity, that doesn’t detract at all from the mystery of the message that spirit is trying to communicate. Only Lisan sees the spirit, and only she hears its cryptic message. Chang makes clear from the start who is not to be trusted. That’s why when she turns the tables, and we see that we were led astray, we are taken by surprise and shocked. Some of the events are expected, but others are a great surprise.

What I loved most about this novel is the way I felt immersed in Shanghai as it was over a century ago. I am lucky enough to have visited Shanghai, so I could picture the European buildings on the Bund and imagine how Shanghai has changed since the setting of the novel. It’s also fascinating to see the old names for cities like Peking and Soochow (Beijing and Suzhou) as they would have been used a century ago.

I very much enjoyed the two female main characters and the expert manner in which Chang depicted their personalities and their struggles to take control of their lives in a time when women were very limited in what they could do. And while American women had much more freedom than their Chinese counterparts, Caroline’s money was still controlled by her husband. Lisan’s life was completely controlled by her guardian. Although he was very generous and kind, she lived in a gilded cage, only able to spread her wings if he gave permission.

Because the characters and their situations are so compelling, the pages practically turn themselves. So it’s a quick read, but also a really enjoyable one. Take a trip into the past and halfway across the world and enjoy the mystery regarding the truth about Lisan and Caroline. You won’t regret it.

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.