Book Review: The Silver Lotus

"Like father, like son". This is one phrase that we hear all the time, and was probably one of the first we heard as children. In the case of Thomas Steinbeck, eldest son of legendary American author John Steinbeck, however, this saying has never been more true. I was a fan of the father's work in high school (The Red Pony, The Pearl, Of Mice and Men), and now have discovered the literary magic of the son through his magnificent novel The Silver Lotus.

Spanning roughly from the 1890's until the 1910's (though this is difficult to determine, since actual dates are mentioned maybe three times in the entire book), The Silver Lotus takes its title from the name of its main character: Lady Yee is the youngest daughter of a wealthy merchant in the Chinese port city of Canton. Unsurpassed in beauty and unbelievably intelligent, Lady Yee is the jewel of her father's existence.

On the surface, captain Jeremiah Macy Hammond is the last person one would expect to be integrated into such a prominent Chinese family (an American merchant captain descended from a Nantucket whaling family). Nonetheless, his fine morals, deep sense of dignity and shrewd yet honest business ways earn him the singular honor of Lady Yee's hand in marriage.

Together, Captain Hammond and Lady Yee have many adventures sailing and trading across the Pacific, and when they finally settle down in Monterey, California, Lady Yee's almost superhuman instincts of perception combine with her husband's vast business network to profoundly change the sociopolitical culture and situation of ethnic minorities of the California coast.

The most remarkable feature about Steinbeck Jr.'s work is that the book contains very little dialog. In 342 pages the amount of actual spoken words adds up to perhaps five pages at most- hence the entire story is told in retrospect, making the reader feel like they are reading a historical account. Its been a while since I read anything by Steinbeck Sr., so I don't recall if this was his style as well. Nonetheless, it was still a very interesting literary technique.

Although some are extensively featured and others are only a passing reference, the sheer number of cultures, nationalities and religions (not to mention their foods, clothes and vast amounts of trade goods) paints an almost global picture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries while still focusing on the simple and loving relationship between an American merchant captain and his beautiful Chinese wife.

Thomas Steinbeck has written other books besides this one, and they apparently have been well received. Whether I will eventually read them or not is uncertain, but one thing is certain; in his firm grasp of characters and storytelling, Steinbeck Jr. is every bit as good as his father, and perhaps in some instances has even surpassed him.