The Secret of the Butterfly Lovers

These days, I seldom read a book that is not mentioned somewhere or recommended by someone. However, prior to reading this book, I didn’t know who Keith Richardson or Andy Lakey was.

But it happened. That day when I was in library, I just went to one of the shelves and picked out this book. Maybe because it looked colorful on the cover? Or maybe because my love to butterflies can extend to everything about them? I don’t know. I decided to take this book home, even though I nevered heard of the author’s name.

And, in short time, allowed him to introduce me to a fascination story!

I started to get used to all the characters of Keith’s family and his friends – those people who were with him in China in the 17th century! I am from China and I knew who emperor Kangxi was (even though I still haven’t figured out the name Chang). And it’s so interesting to see them reincarnated as soul groups in today’s California.

As I read this book at the beginning of December, 2012, I was also very surpried to find that Angel artist Andy Lakey died two months ago in early October 2012, after I got to know him from this book and got interested in his art.

It is a well written book. It also encourages me to go with the flow to find and dialogue with my own spirit guides by using hypnotherapy – You know, they say the hardest people to hypnotize are hypnotists. But I will go down the 10 steps of stairs and follow the path to the shimmering pond… and I’ll stay open this time.

The only reason I gave this book 4 stars on Amazon book review is that according to the research I’ve done in Chinese, Kangxi didn’t marry a daughter to Galdan Khan, though in some of the literature such as popular modern-day TV shows, he did. I’m not sure which is histrorical truth. Kangxi’s fifth daughter married someone as “Ger Zang” (according to Google translation from a name which is close to “Galdan” in Chinese); and his sixth daughter, who legendarily was his favorite, married someone else. There is still a well maintained beautiful Qing Princess Hourse in the city of Hohhot. Two of his earlier daughters died as babies so this sixth in some places is considered as the fourth daughter. She’s the one who did great things for the country. I’m still a little confused on these different historical materials…

But it doesn’t matter. Kangxi was a greatly loved emperor, also the longest regning emperor. I feel there’s a deeper reason for me to stumble upon this book and read it, even though I didn’t know what. It’s funny when Keith and his wife Francesca were feeling lost in Beijing in 2004, I just arrived in the western world Canada for the second time. While reading this book, I was imagining being there helping them out. That would be a great pleasure for me. Wrong timing, and wrong space, even though it was right intention.

It’s all fascinating.