In The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee (Viking $25.95) two women love the same man in exotic Hong Kong before, during and ten years after WWII. The story relates difficult choices and their consequences as a result of loves, intrigues and betrayals. The setting gives some hints at the complex relationships between clashing cultures and ancient histories. This beguiling story is quietly related amidst the hot steamy backdrop of south-east Asia. I was mesmerized. ~Gretchen Echols