'Peony in Love: A Novel' by Lisa See

FOR her new novel, "Peony in Love," Lisa See mines an intriguing vein of Chinese history. When the opera "The Peony Pavilion" was written in 1598, the story fascinated and shocked on many levels. It was openly sensual, even sexual, but more than that, it introduced a new kind of heroine, the spirited Liniang. Contrary to the mores surrounding the life of women, she follows her heart in matters of love and dies as a result — and then is magically resurrected.