In a series of letters written while on board the Empress of Asia, en route from Victoria to Shanghai, Poppy von Stronheim Mandeville explains the secret history of her family to her daughter, Precious. From the activities of her opium and rum smuggling mother, to the truth behind Precious' conception, Poppy must unravel the secrets that her mother kept from her, and that Poppy has until now kept from Precious. A world of lies, etiquette and whispers, The Empress Letters shows both the fantasy and dark reality of Victoria in the early 20th century.