Raincoast Books
Available: 01/15/08
6.08 x 8.92 · 416 pages
978-1-55192-960-6
CDN $19.95 · pb

Canadian Title

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Empress of Asia

A Novel

Adam Lewis Schroeder

Nominated for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award, this sweeping story of love and war spans the years between the end of World War II and 1995.

On her deathbed, Lily reveals an astonishing secret to her husband, Harry. She gives him the address of Michel Ney, the man who saved Harry’s life in World War II before being killed by the Japanese—or so Harry had always believed. Can Lily be in contact with a man she never met, and why does she insist on Harry’s reunion with him now? Harry journeys to Thailand, piecing together details of past years. What secret has lain between Michel and Lily for 50 years, and how can Harry prepare himself to accept it?

“This is a compelling, witty and hearbreaking book that will stay with you long after you put it down.” (Globe and Mail)

“Schroeder sustains a fast clip and an unpredictability to the action ... The 400-page epic, which includes a touch of mystery, ignited my own wanderlust.” (Vancouver Review)

“Dark, funny and surprisingly beautiful, Empress of Asia is a true accomplishment, both a picaresque adventure and a grand historical tale.” (Madeleine Thien, author of Simple Recipes and Certainty)

ADAM LEWIS SCHROEDER (Penticton, B.C.) grew up on an apple orchard in western Canada. He is the author of the acclaimed book of short stories Kingdom of Monkeys. He has published stories in Grain, the Malahat Review, Best Canadian Stories and The Journey Prize Stories. He teaches creative writing at Okanagan College in Penticton.