One for the Books: Travel back to imperial China

Ken Follett. James Michener. James Clavell. You know these names if you enjoy epic reads that take you into another place and immerse you in the goings-on of well-drawn characters in war, community-building, passion and survival. Add to these Edward Rutherfurd, author of such wonders as “Sarum,” “London,” “Paris,” and the two-volume Dublin Saga, among others. For the fan of historical fiction, Rutherfurd’s newest work, “China,” is just delicious.

Rutherfurd’s saga begins in 1839 and carries us through China’s Opium Wars and the Boxer Rebellion. Among the variety of people we meet are British opium traders, Chinese magistrates, pirates, missionaries, palace eunuchs and the Dowager Empress. Many of these disparate souls eventually interact with each other, sometimes in surprising ways.