In Progress

Marco Polo was in China from the age of 21 to 38 and never mentioned a love affair; in this novel, he finally has one.

Richly evoking an era long shrouded in mystery, this book captures the sweep and depth of the largest land empire in history, the Mongol Empire – as seen from the eyes of a Mongol woman.

Inspired by the legend of a woman warrior, 16-year-old Emmajin dares to ask her grandfather, Kubiai Khan, if she can become the first female to join his army. He grants her request, but only if she can prove herself by spying on a young foreigner – Marco Polo - from a land so distant the Mongols have not yet bothered to conquer it. At 21, Marco wins the Great Khan’s favor as a storyteller and captivates Emmajin with his tales of forbidden love. But loving this man clashes with her ambition to win fame as a soldier. When her grandfather assigns her to join the army being sent to conquer Marco’s homeland, Emmajin is torn.

As she fights battles, hunts dragons, and gallops across the grasslands and deserts of the Silk Road, she faces tough questions: How can a woman remain female in the male profession of war?  Can you love a foreigner and remain true to your identity?  Can you be loyal to your country and still see its flaws?  Emmajin learns that the magnificent superpower that nurtured and inspired her looks menacing when viewed through the round eyes of an outsider.