As a follow up to my favorite nonfiction books about China, here are more much-loved books on China – this time fiction – I have read over the last 18 months. If you have your own favorites – fiction or non fiction, I hope you’ll share them.
1. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
This 1932 Pulitzer Prize winning classic still resonates. Many read this timeless novel in high school, but I read it here in Beijing – and loved it. It’s the story of Wang Lung, a peasant in early 20th century China who takes his bride, a servant, from the wealthy Hwang estate. Wang works hard and eventually find himself the master of this same manor. The bumps along his long journey make for a great story and testament to a life in China that still rings true today.
2. The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
This is a wonderful tribute to Chinese cuisine and a must read for those who love to eat. Chinese people laugh at the idea of “Chinese food.” Instead, they tell you about the finer points of Cantonese vs. Sichuan vs. Hunan vs. Imperial vs. Hakka style preparations (and that’s just to start). Partly inspired by the story of China’s real life Li family, Mones brings food to life in this wonderful story set in contemporary China.
3. Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Narrated by an 80-year-old woman looking back on her life and a friendship she pledged to cherish and uphold as a young girl, this story is filled with all the key attributes of a great story – love, intrigue, and heartbreak,. What makes it difficult to put down, however, are See’s well-researched descriptions of the intricacies of Chinese village life during that time period. Her vivid depiction of foot binding will stay with me for years to come.
4. Death of a Red Heroine by Xialong Qiu
This is the first in a series of books about Shanghai police detective Chen, who is assigned to solve a political mystery. Set in the time following the Cultural Revolution, Chen is a poet and keen observer of the dynamic changes taking place in China of the mid 1990’s. Death of a Red Heroine was followed by the equally enjoyable Loyal Character Dancer, and I just picked up the third in the series, When Red is Black.
5. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Tan explores four Chinese American families; specifically, the relationship between the daughters and their mothers, whose former, youthful lives in China are slowly revealed as the story unfolds.
6. The Maker of Heavenly Trousers by Daniele Vare
If you can find this out of print book, it’s worth the effort. First published in 1935, it’s is a lovely snapshot of what it was like to live in Beijing during the 1920’s and 30’s.