I’ve always been swept away by the writings of Jane Austen.
I can’t tell you how many hours of my life has been spent pouring over the pages of her novels imagining myself to be one of her characters… She clearly had an influence on the author of my September book club pick as well.
Silk and Sensibility by Mengxi Seely, is a historical romance novel that reimagines Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility in 16th-century, Ming-dynasty China.
Not only does it transport you back in time, you’ll be immersed in Chinese culture and traditions as lived by two sisters you’ll come to know very well. As sisters usually are, you’ll find them to be simultaneously alike in many ways yet strikingly different in others.
Nineteen-year-old Ailin is torn between duty and desire. Following her father’s death, her family must rely on the wealthy Jiang clan for financial survival. Though Ailin knows she must marry strategically to help her family, her heart has already been captured by the poor but gentle scholar Enze. When his family opposes their union, Ailin knows she must hide her feelings from everyone until she can strengthen her dowry and stand on her own terms.
Meilin encourages her older sister to fight for her personal desires, but Meilin’s romantic ideals conflict with Ailin’s devotion to duty. Meilin believes in being honest about one’s feelings regardless of what others may think, and she unabashedly pursues a charming playwright while also clashing with a frustratingly handsome but gruff army captain.
The sisters would do anything to help the other find happiness, but their assumptions about restraint and passion are as different as earth and sky. Ailin feels honor bound to her family yet is unable to deny her love for Enze, even as circumstances push them further apart, while Meilin grapples with unexpected feelings for Captain Bai and societal restrictions that leave little room for her own hopes.
I encourage you to take a cue from summer as it slips away into autumn… Slip away yourself, into a cozy corner, sip some tea, open this beautiful book and let a new world unfold before you.
Who will you most relate to, Ailin or Meilin? What would you do if you found yourself in their situation? What advice would you give them? Such a delicate balance they must strike in order to find their place in society and achieve a personal level of happiness.
Pre-Order: Silk and Sensibility
(available September 15th, 2026)