Book #31: The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee. The setting is Hong Kong just before Japan attacks and takes over the island and after Japan surrenders and the island's social circle's history. Claire, quite nondescript has arrived from England with her new husband and becomes the piano teacher for the daughter of a high society Chinese couple. She becomes involved with Will who has a long history on the island. The story includes Trudy, the Eurasian heiress, her connections with the Japanese leader, her involvement with Will, and her place in Hong Kong's elite society. The story is filled with intrigue, romance, questionable love, separation of East and West, loyalty, cultural differences and social classes, and survival in war. The story details aren't fully uncovered until the final chapters. It took a while for me to get really interested in this book- long descriptions of society parties. But, toward the end, I had to just read and read until I finished.