China Book Club: 'The World of Suzie Wong' by Richard Mason

Published in 1957 and set contemporaneously, 'The World of Suzie Wong' is a romance story between British artist Robert Lomax and Chinese prostitute Suzie Wong.

Robert is the only resident of the Nam Kok hotel not renting his room by the hour when he meets Suzie at the bar. She becomes his muse and they fall in love. But even in Hong Kong, where many white expatriates have Chinese mistresses, their romance could jeopardize the things they each hold dear.

Suzie Wong has since become a cultural icon, as there are countless bars and restaurants named after her all around the world.