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Issued by Shadow Mountain Publishing on September 17, 2026. Source: EIN Presswire.
Novel moves Jane Austen classic to 16th-century China
Author Mengxi Seeley and Shadow Mountain Publishing have released their first collaboration, “Silk and Sensibility,” a retelling of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” set in Ming-dynasty China.
Ailin and Meilin are sisters navigating love, family expectations and the complicated rules of 16th-century Chinese society. After their father’s death leaves the family in a precarious financial position, the sisters face very different questions about marriage, duty and what they are willing to risk for love.
Ailin is cautious and conscious of her responsibility to her family, while Meilin is more outspoken. Their contrasting approaches echo Austen’s original sisters, while giving Seeley room to explore the expectations placed on women in Ming-dynasty China.
For Seeley, a 1.5-generation immigrant to the United States from China, the book is also a chance to write the kind of story she wished she could have read growing up. “When I was young, I was sad that there were virtually no Chinese girls as main characters in historical love stories with happy endings,” Seeley said. “Now, it feels amazing being able to add a little more happiness to the world with ‘Silk and Sensibility.'”
Seeley came to fiction by way of scholarship. Most of her previously published work consists of English translations of academic articles by Chinese historians, and her studies at Brigham Young University and Stanford University helped prepare her to create the historical setting for the novel.
“Silk and Sensibility” earned a starred review from Booklist, which praised Seeley’s ability to honor the framework of Austen’s original while creating something distinctive in its 16th-century Chinese setting.
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