The Language of Light by Kathleen Brady is a stunningly beautiful love story. It takes place in the early 1980’s which makes it historical fiction. That only added to my delight since this is my favorite genre.
Another bonus of this story is the exotic setting. The tale is about a young woman, Louise (Lu) McLean who journeys from Los Angeles to Beijing, China to study Mandarin Chinese at the Beijing Language Institute. There, she has to learn to live in a society and a culture that is very different from her life in the U.S. The China of that day and age was just beginning to open up to the rest of the world. Lu would have felt very alone if not for the friends she found in and around the school…especially Ming, a teacher at the Language Institute. It is Ming who guides Lu through the intricacies of life at the school and the city of Beijing. It is also Ming that Lu falls in love with.
The love story of Lu and Ming is powerfully told against a backdrop of history that increases the beauty of the tale. The book is very realistic. The author herself spent three years in China learning the language as Lu does in the novel which adds another layer of realism.
I greatly enjoyed this poignant, powerful and deeply passionate love story. I recommend it to all who like historical fiction and romance. There will also be a sequel to this novel sometime in 2023. I’m looking forward to reading that novel as well. I received an ARC from Bywater Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections 