As I look at this book through the eyes or ears of a child, I could easily become baffled about what this book is about. In order to understand the meaning behind the text, I would have to know more than I am given by the author. I would have to know about the Chinese culture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, who Emperor's were and what were their powers, and what events led to the end of the Emperor's reign. Further, I would have to know what a lotus is and why it is so magical. With all of that safely in my mind, I could then begin to read a very quiet, spare, and thoughtful book about another time and another place. A book that could be called historical fiction, but is so much more than that sterile label. I highly recommend this book but only if you do some prep work before opening the cover.