![]() It can stretch and tangle, but never can it break." The reader discovers how that red thread has knotted and entangled three generations of Leong women: matriarch Lin her daughter-in-law, Amy and Amy's daughter, Theresa. The ancient Chinese proverb featured in Diamond Head is the invisible red string that "connects destined lovers, despite time or place or circumstance. There is a formula to these books, which includes headstrong women who often make the wrong choice, a liberal sprinkling of allusions to ancient Chinese proverbs, and flashbacks to a pre-communist China rife with superstition, tradition, and betrayal. Add to the list Cecily Wong's debut novel, Diamond Head. Recent examples of books with these covers are Amy Tan's The Valley of Amazement, Lisa See's Dreams of Joy, and Jennifer Cody Epstein's The Painter from Shanghai. One step removed from the bodice-ripper, the genre could be called a cheongsam-ripper (for the traditional one-piece dress), inevitably featuring family secrets, thwarted love, and girls sold into concubinage or prostitution. And a close-up of a woman that does not show her whole face but usually includes lush lips and/or a high-standing mandarin collar means a multigenerational saga of a family of Chinese women. ![]() A chesty woman swooning in the arms of a muscular man signals a bodice-ripper. ![]() If there is a gun sight on it, it's a thriller. Sometimes, you can judge a book by its cover. ![]()
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