A Cup of Light

Lia Frank, an appraiser of fine Chinese porcelain, is sent to Beijing to catalogue and evaluate a rare collection of twenty pieces. When she arrives, she finds that the collection is of some eight hundred pieces many of which seem to originate from the imperial porcelain collection. In trying to assess whether the pieces are real or fake, and which pieces fall into each category, Lia embarks on a journey of personal and professional discovery. There are a number of different strands to this story and not all are equally well developed. However, the relationships mattered less to me than the glimpses into the past and the memory skills Lia used to assist in the authentication of pieces. The description of some of the pieces of porcelain was so beautiful that I could visualise some of the porcelain for myself. One of the themes which works very well is trying to differentiate what is original and what is not. Flaws themselves constitute beauty. And, if a copy is as beautiful as the piece it imitates then should the copier also be admired? I wanted, at times, to stay in Lia's world looking at beautiful objects. But, alas, the world intervenes and the journey finishes. The juxtaposition between the world of fine art and the reality of commerce is jarring, but serves as a reminder that art is a commodity with a price, and that ownership is about power. This is the first of Ms Mones's books I have read, and I will be looking to redress this. Jennifer Cameron-Smith

A thought-provoking and enjoyable read. A book that should be saved for another read in a year or two. Great insights into the worlds of the Chinese, porcelain collectors, and the deaf.

Nicole Mones' knowledge of China and of ancient porcelain is awe-inspiring. She has done her homework! Lia is an incredibly beautiful character. Since one of the editorial reviewers alluded to it, I'll note that she is deaf. This is not a handicap to her. In fact, it is responsible for that mental device of storing information in her head which he reviewer disliked. And she turned down the idea of cochlear inplants, which might have given her near-normal hearing. She likes her hearing aids, for lots of reasons. For one thing, she can take them out, and the silence in her head helps her move into that memory storage system which is so important in sorting out every piece of Chinese porcelain ever published. For another, she can turn them partway down and walk through the loud Chinese markets or sit in a loud Chinese bar and not be blown away by the sound! This is a good lesson, lightly applied, in what "handicapped" really means.The plot moves back and forth, focusing on Lia, but showing us also people she never meets, the go-betweens, the ultimate buyers in the US, who want the art just because they can afford it (knowing they can never display it), the Chinese officials who don't want it to leave China but need even the little kick-back money that will come to the government. I learned a lot about the history of porcelain, but also about what happened to it during Chinese history, especially before, during and after WW II.And Lia has to learn to tell forgeries from the real thing--even forgeries so beautiful they make her heart break. The descriptions are so beautiful they will make your heart break too. The writing is sensual, whether of the pots, leaves in the park, food, the man who might make a difference in Lia's life. It will be hard to wait for Nicole Mones' third novel.

I read Nicole Mones' first book, Lost in Translation, and knew that I had happened upon a talented and brilliant writer. She creates interesting and compelling characters and, like the previous reviewer said, puts you into their mind as you read, and immerses you into a new world and culture.Having never known anything about porcelain, this book taught me so much without being preachy at all. Mones has a way of weaving fact into fiction so that it reads in an interesting way and becomes a part of the story. And that goes the same for the culture both of China and of the intricate world of porcelain. Who would have known that some of those pieces date back hundreds of thousands of years and are worth billions? And weaved within all of the interesting backgrounds of history, art and culture, there are multi-dimensional characters who you will not want to see go, as well as stories of romance, of art theft and of a world so different from the one's we live from day to day. The story primarily revolves around a woman named Lia who is a porcelain appraiser sent to look at hundreds of pieces of porcelain in China. While there, she teaches us all about the history of many of these pieces, as well as so much more. She also teaches about an "underground" world of people who smuggle such works out of China, and she begins a budding romance with a doctor who left the US and an unsettled past.The intricacies of this book are as unique as the pieces of art Lia describes. You will not be disappointed, except to see it end. And you will be left with a story you won't soon forget, as well as insight into a world you might have otherwise overlooked.I hope to see more work by this author soon!

Nicole Mones takes us back to China with her second book. If you are expecting a book similar to her first (Lost In Translation) then begin Cup of Light again. Mones shows her tremendous versatility as a creative writer of mystery and romance. Yet, as in her first book, the author displays her trademark ability to take the reader right inside her characters.It is obvious from page one that Mones spent a great deal of time researching the Chinese porcelain world. Her writing style subtlety educates the reader as it draws you deeper into a multi-faceted mystery. Lia's recollections (from memory) of historical facts were fabulous. I found myself reading and re-reading them. She maintains the mystery surrounding the porcelain to the end of the novel, providing the readers with twists and turns to keep us guessing.Are you tired of the man dumps woman, woman hits rock bottom, woman struggles and despite odds becomes rich and famous, man returns groveling only to be dumped by woman novel? Then get this book. Mones is a refreshing author who obviously understands that there are readers who want to think and be entertained at the same time. When is her next novel due? I await it anxiously! In the interim, Cup of Light gets my highest recommendation.