FICTION

BRONZE MIRROR: by Jeanne Larsen (Henry Holt and Co.: $19.95; 337 pp.). Twelfth-Century China is the milieu of a trio of storytellers from some mythical realm: the Silk Emperor, the Silkweb Empress and the emperor’s courtier. They spin a tale about Pomegranate, a passionate young girl who is forced into domestic service when her family falls on hard times. Chubby, cheerful Pomegranate takes to heart the command of her mistress, Lady Phoenix, “to assist me in all things.” She assists her most enthusiastically in satisfying the sexual appetites of the lord of the house, Master Skyquill. Warnings and temptations are reflected in a magical bronze mirror that somehow ties together life and death, storytellers and characters, carefully constructed plots and the chaos of historical events. The author creates a richly textured narrative of ancient China, from the crippled little feet of its women to the exotic and complex rules of social behavior.