• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Historical Writers Association

The official website of the HWA

  • Members
  • Awards
  • Events
  • Historia
  • About us
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Login

The Secret Mandarin

The Secret Mandarin

The Secret Mandarin

14/04/2015 by Sara Sheridan

Based on the real life adventures of  ambitious botanist Robert Fortune this is an unforgettable tale set in Victorian London and 1840s China – just as the Opium War draws to a close. Desperate to shield her from scandal, Mary’s brother-in-law, Robert Fortune, forces her to accompany him on a mission to steal tea plants for the East India Company from the tea farms in the interior, where all Europeans are banned. His task is both difficult and dangerous – the British are still regarded as enemies by the Chinese and exporting tea bushes carries the death sentence. In these harsh conditions Mary grieves for her London life and the baby she has been forced to leave behind while her fury at Robert intensifies. As their quest becomes increasingly treacherous, Robert and Mary disguise themselves as a mandarin and man-servant. Thousands of miles from everything familiar, Mary revels in her new freedom and the Chinese way of life. When danger strikes she finds unexpected reserves of courage.

About the author

  • Sara Sheridan- writer profile

Buy this book

  • Amazon

Primary Sidebar

Press enquiries

We welcome enquiries from the media and are happy to put you in contact with our members.
Press Enquiries

Join the HWA

Find out more and apply to join
Join Us

Copyright © 2014–2025 Historical Writers Association Log in