“ … a magisterial novel that is equal parts love story, imaginative history and bildungsroman, a story as alluring as it is powerful.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Although this is a historical novel as well as a coming-of-age book, the depth of Avery’s exploration of her period and her characters lets her soar above the limitations of both genres ….. The Teahouse Fire, a novel that, like the tea ceremony itself, provides true pleasure to the intellect and all the senses.”
Los Angeles Times
“Avery’s writing is saturated with color and detail …. a deeply engrossing, multifaceted work.”
Boston Globe
“On every page there’s a gorgeous image to savour… hypnotically beautiful.”
Marie Claire
“Her novel is a rather beautiful thing; all the more so for emulating the values of another world.”
Financial Times
“Like attending seasons of elegant tea parties—each one resplendent with character and drama. Delicious.”
Maxine Hong Kingston
author of The Woman Warrior
Powell’s Books talks with Ellis about “Tea and Writing The Teahouse Fire.”
Ellis reads a selection from The Teahouse Fire for KQED’s The Writer’s Block.
