Her Lotus Year

China, the Roaring Twenties and the Making of Wallis Simpson

by Paul French

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Pub Date 14 Nov 2024 | Archive Date Not set

Elliott & Thompson

Biographies & Memoirs | History | Nonfiction (Adult)

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Description

In her memoirs, Wallis Simpson described her time in China as her ‘Lotus Year’, referring to Homer’s Lotus Eaters, a group living in a state of dreamy forgetfulness, never to return home. That year, however, was also used to damn her in the eyes of the British Establishment. Determined to ‘save’ the monarchy, the British government’s ‘China Dossier’ of Wallis’s rumoured amorous and immoral activities in the Far East portrayed her as sordid, debauched, influenced by foreign agents, and unfit to marry a king. But little was really known about how she spent that mysterious period in her life –
until now.

Paul French, an award-winning historian of China, uncovers a completely different picture, portraying a woman of tremendous courage who may have acted as a courier for the US government, undertaking dangerous undercover diplomatic missions in a China torn by civil war. Despite the many challenges she faced, from violent riots to the breakdown of her first marriage, it was there that she established her confidence and independence, developed her unique fashion sense, and forged friendships that would last a lifetime. She emerged from that year as the elegant, stylish, cosmopolitan and worldly woman for whom a king gave up his throne.

Her Lotus Year takes a headlong dive into Wallis’s early, formative years – and into the chaotic and thrilling China of the 1920s – to explore the untold, colourful origin story of a woman too often maligned by history.

Advance Praise

“Paul French has discovered a side of Wallis Simpson that few, if any, will ever have known existed... Her Lotus Year is a compelling exploration of a woman too often reduced to mere scandal, offering readers a fresh perspective on one of history's most enigmatic figures.” Dr. Amanda Foreman, New York Times bestselling author of Georgiana and A World on Fire

"Rumors have always swirled about the two ‘missing’ years Wallis Simpson spent in China. Here, China expert Paul French casts a detailed light on her stay, sifting fact from fiction, with some surprising conclusions." Anne de Courcy, author of Husband Hunters

"Where does an unhappily married woman go in 1924 to seek peace of mind? To China, for adventure and glamour. What happens to her after this mysterious “lotus year”? She becomes none other than the Duchess of Windsor. A fascinating and very fun read." Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author of Lady Tan's Circle of Women and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

"Riveting and fascinating, Paul French has put flesh on the bones in his detailed account of what Wallis really did in her ‘Lotus Year.'" Anne Sebba, New York Times bestselling author of That Woman

“I thought there was nothing left to learn about the Duchess of Windsor. But Paul French has proven me wrong in this book of fascinating revelations.” Laurence Leamer, New York Times bestselling author of Capote’s Women

"Expertly woven into the backdrop of 1920s China, French’s new study challenges the clichés surrounding Wallis Simpson to reveal her in an intriguing new light." Julia Boyd, author of A Dance with the Dragon

“At last, a respected writer about China, who knows what he is talking about... [French] fills in the Duchess of Windsor’s year in China with prodigious and convincing research." Hugo Vickers, bestselling author of Alice: Princess Andrew of Greece

“Paul French’s expert knowledge of China brings a fresh and humanising perspective to Wallis Simpson, exposing some myths and filling an important gap in the literature.” Andrew Lownie, bestselling author of Traitor King

“Wallis Simpson’s time in China between 1924 and 1925 has been too long shrouded in rumour and innuendo. Thank God, then, for Paul French, whose magisterial, beautifully written and impeccably researched account of the future Duchess of Windsor’s activities during this period should henceforth be regarded as the definitive account. Forget the so-called “China Dossier”, which probably never existed anyway; this is all you need to know about the woman who was never queen.” Alexander Larman, author of The Windsors at War

“Paul French has discovered a side of Wallis Simpson that few, if any, will ever have known existed... Her Lotus Year is a compelling exploration of a woman too often reduced to mere scandal...