Chinese Studies

We gathered this collection to showcase China’s extensive literary history, from the writings of Confucius during the Zhou Dynasty (BCE) to contemporary, award-winning works by Amy Tan and Kelly Yang. Read on to discover study guides that will help generate discussion about titles both by Chinese authors and about Chinese history and experiences.

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: EconomicsTags Science / Nature, Technology, Business / Economics, Technology, History: World, Chinese Literature, Politics / Government

Publication year 2006Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: ImmigrationTags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Bullying, Race / Racism, History: Asian, Immigration / Refugee, Chinese Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy

American Born Chinese is a graphic novel published in 2006 by the American author and illustrator Gene Luen Yang, who also wrote the graphic novel Boxers (2013) and the graphic memoir Dragon Hopes (2020). Through three interweaving stories that span from the 16th century to the present, American Born Chinese explores issues of Chinese American identity, anti-Asian racism, and assimilation. American Born Chinese is the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book... Read American Born Chinese Summary


Publication year -1Genre Book, NonfictionTags Asian Literature, Chinese Literature, Philosophy

The Analects is a text compiled of the remarks and conversations of the Chinese philosopher, Confucius, during the later years of his life (72-75 years old). The text, with its dialogues and reflections, takes place during the Warring States Period (475-222 BC)—a period of great turmoil and geopolitical restructuring when the vassals of the then incumbent sovereign (Zhou Dynasty) defected and declared themselves independent of Zhou, thereby becoming kingdoms in their own right. It is... Read Analects of Confucius Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Sociology, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Inspirational, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Politics / Government

A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity is a nonfiction book published in 2014 by the husband-and-wife team of Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The book speaks to altruism and how people can do something to promote more opportunities for others around the world. The authors declare, “We wrote this book mostly to encourage others—rich and poor alike—to join in this push to improve the world” (16). They promote three ways of doing so:... Read A Path Appears Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Historical Fiction, Education, Education, Asian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Chinese Literature

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2000) is a short, semi-autobiographical novel by Dai Sijie. The narrative is set during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and follows two teenage boys who are sent to a remote mountain village for re-education. The boys become close with the local tailor’s daughter and uncover a hidden stash of forbidden Western literature. The books introduce them to ideas, emotions, and freedoms they have never known, and awaken in the Little... Read Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Education, Natural World: Nurture v. NatureTags Parenting, Asian Literature, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Education, Education, Chinese Literature, Biography

Amy Chua’s memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (2011), depicts Chua’s experience raising two American daughters according to Chinese cultural standards. Chua is a Yale law professor specializing in globalization and ethnic conflict. She is also a second-generation Chinese American, and her husband is Jewish. Chua’s strict approach is influenced by the parenting methods used by her own parents, which clash with those of her husband. Chua’s memoir was a New York Times bestseller... Read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Immigration, Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Race, Natural World: Food, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Chinese Literature, Immigration / Refugee, Poverty, American Literature, Education, Biography

Publication year 2010Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags History: World, Biography, Chinese Literature, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Society: Economics, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Humor, Satire, Romance, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Chinese Literature

China Rich Girlfriend is an adult novel published by Doubleday in 2015, the sequel to Singapore-born author Kevin Kwan’s internationally bestselling romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians (2013) and second in a trilogy which concludes with Rich People Problems (2017). Billed as a satire, a mock-epic, and a sprawling family saga that peers into the lives of the ultra-wealthy in Asia, China Rich Girlfriend depicts the efforts of Rachel Chu, a Chinese-born American university professor, and... Read China Rich Girlfriend Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Chinese Literature, History: Asian, Education, Education, History: World, Biography

Chinese Cinderella: The Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter (1999) is the autobiography of Adeline Yen Mah and covers her experience growing up in an abusive household during a politically tumultuous era in Chinese history (1937-1952). Yen Mah, who now lives in the United States, made the decision to fulfill her childhood dreams of writing professionally after practicing medicine for several decades according to her father’s wishes. Chinese Cinderella is an abridged version of her... Read Chinese Cinderella Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Chinese Literature

Publication year 1918Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Mental Illness, Chinese Literature, History: World

Lu Xun's "Diary of a Madman" was first published in China in 1918, during a period of significant cultural and political upheaval in the country. The Qin dynasty, in power since 1644, had recently collapsed from internal and external pressures in the 1912 Xinhai Revolution, marking a dramatic break from the past. New ideas about government, philosophy, and science prompted many Chinese intellectuals to reflect on long-held traditions and look toward a rebirth of the... Read Diary of a Madman Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Music, Chinese Literature

Do Not Say We Have Nothing is a novel by Madeline Thein, which focuses on the 20th century Communist Revolution in China and its effects on multiple generations of Chinese citizens. This book won the Scotiabank Giller Prize as well as the Governor General’s Award. It was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2016. This guide refers the American paperback edition published by W.W. Norton.Plot SummaryDuring the first horrific years of the Revolution... Read Do Not Say We Have Nothing Summary


Publication year 1975Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: RaceTags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Asian Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Chinese Literature

Originally published in 1975, Dragonwings is a children’s historical novel by Chinese American author Laurence Yep. The story was inspired by the life of Fung Joe Guey (Feng Ru), a Chinese immigrant who came to the United States in the early 1900s and earned acclaim for his work as a pioneer airplane designer and aviator. The book is part of Yep’s Golden Mountain Chronicles, a series of 10 novels that explore the long history of... Read Dragonwings Summary


Publication year 1760Genre Novel, FictionTags Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Chinese Literature

The Story of the Stone, also known as The Dream of the Red Chamber, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of China. Cáo Xuěqín wrote the work sometime in the 18th century, during the Qing dynasty—the last volume in the five-volume sequence was compiled and published many years later by Gao-E, who added additional chapters to complete the unfinished work. Many scholars consider the novel to be semi-autobiographical; Cáo Xuěqín was part of... Read Dream of the Red Chamber, Vol. 1 Summary


Publication year 1986Genre Poem, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: FoodTags Education, Education, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature, Grief / Death, Food

Publication year 1984Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: War, Society: ColonialismTags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Military / War, WWII / World War II, History: World, Chinese Literature, Japanese Literature, Classic Fiction

Empire of the Sun is a 1984 novel written by British author J.G. Ballard. In it, Jim, the 11-year-old son of a wealthy British family, is living in the International Settlement in Shanghai, China on the eve of Pearl Harbor, 1941. When Japanese forces attack the Settlement, Jim is separated from his parents. He survives for several weeks by scavenging food from abandoned houses, before being arrested by the Japanese. He is then taken to... Read Empire of the Sun Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: ForgivenessTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy

Ted Chiang’s Exhalation is a collection of nine science fiction short stories. Published in 2019, the stories feature time travel, robots, artificial intelligences, and human beings grappling with an everchanging world. Seven of the nine stories appeared in previous publications, going on to win multiple Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards. Through the science fiction/dystopian genre, Exhalation explores forgiveness, parenting, technology ethics, free will, and climate change. This is Ted Chiang’s second collection, following Stories of... Read Exhalation Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags Asian Literature, Chinese Literature, History: Asian, Asian Literature, History: World, Biography

Falling Leaves is an autobiography by Chinese-American author, physician, and activist Adeline Yen Mah. Based on her traumatic childhood and her relationship with an abusive stepmother, as well as her later life in the United States and her troubled first marriage, Falling Leaves explores the Chinese concept of filial duty and the role of women in traditional Chinese culture. Detailing the broader sociocultural and economic changes that form the background of her family’s legacy—spanning from... Read Falling Leaves Summary


Publication year 1990Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Action / Adventure

William Bell’s 1990 young adult fiction novel, Forbidden City: A Novel of Modern China, dramatizes the story of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. The coming-of-age story is told in diary form, narrated from the point of view of a 17-year-old Canadian high school student, Alex Jackson. During the massacre, Alex comes very close to losing everything he holds dear, as he becomes separated from his reporter father, Ted Jackson, and has to trust to the... Read Forbidden City Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Front Desk is the debut novel of Asian-American author Kelly Yang. First published in 2018, the children’s book became a New York Times bestseller and was mentioned on multiple Best Books of the Year lists including NPR, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, the Washington Post, Amazon, School Library Journal, the New York Public Library, and the Chicago Public Library. Front Desk also made ALA’s Booklist of the Top Ten Debut Novels of 2018. It won the 2019... Read Front Desk Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags History: World, Military / War, Chinese Literature, Biography

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World is a nonfiction book divided into three parts and dealing with the early life and rise to power of Temujin, the man who would become known as Genghis Khan. The text details his conquests and the establishment of the Mongol Empire, and the changes undergone by the empire after his death, and up until its collapse. Throughout, Weatherford makes the argument that the Mongol Empire played... Read Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction

Jean Kwok's Girl in Translation details the first decade of the lives of Kimberley Chang and her mother after they emigrate from Hong Kong to New York City in the 1980s. The novel is told from Kim's perspective. Each chapter corresponds roughly to a year of her life, beginning in early elementary school and ending shortly before Kim goes to college. Kim struggles as she attempts to balance her doublelife as a brilliant student during... Read Girl In Translation Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help

Angela Duckworth’s best-selling 2016 book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance describes how persistent practice, and not mere talent, is the key to success among students and professionals. Duckworth’s extensive research demonstrates that young people do best in activities that hold their interest and give them a sense of purpose. This encourages them to practice hard and overcome obstacles until they achieve mastery and success in school and, later, in their professional lives. The... Read Grit Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Identity: RaceTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Western, Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, History: World, LGBTQ

Publication year 1912Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Chinese Literature, Race / Racism

“In the Land of the Free” is the first short story written by British Canadian author Edith Maude Eaton, who was of British and Chinese descent. As one of the first Asian North American writers, her works explored themes of racial discrimination, the difficulties of assimilation, and the effects of the legal system on immigration and kinship. “In the Land of the Free,” originally published by the Montreal Daily Witness in 1890, explores the latter... Read In the Land of the Free Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Gender, Identity: RaceTags Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Chinese Literature

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Chinese Literature, Historical Fiction

Publication year 1987Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Philosophy, Christian literature, Biography, Chinese Literature, Inspirational, Philosophy, Grief / Death, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2000Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Climate, Society: Colonialism, Society: EconomicsTags History: World, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Indian Literature, Chinese Literature

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: FamilyTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Little Fires Everywhere is a New York Times bestselling novel by Celeste Ng published in 2017. In the town of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Elena Richardson rents her family’s property on Winslow Road to Mia and Pearl Warren, a mother and daughter duo who inspire her sense of charity. Mia is an artist, and her lack of rootedness and intense focus on her art unnerve Mrs. Richardson, who lives an orderly life. Their lives become further... Read Little Fires Everywhere Summary


Publication year 1943Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Relationships: MarriageTags Chinese Literature, Historical Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Asian Literature, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction

Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Asian Literature, Chinese Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Asian Literature, History: World, Classical Period, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Mencius is a philosophical text based on the thought and teachings of fourth-century BCE Confucian Chinese philosopher Mencius, or Mengzi. According to the latest scholarship, written in the late fourth century BCE by Mencius’s disciples from notes on what Mencius said, it details conversations he had with various kings, rulers, and officials. These discussions cover a range of topics, from moral and political philosophy to human nature and selfhood. The following guide uses the translation... Read Mencius Summary


Publication year 1592Genre Novel, FictionTags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Chinese Literature

Monkey: Folk Novel of China is a 1943 translation by Arthur Waley of Wu Ch’êng-ên’s novel originally written in Chinese in the 16th century. This summary refers to the American edition. Wu’s original novel is more typically translated as Journey to the West in modern scholarship, and Waley’s translation excises considerable portions of the original story. While he keeps most of the first two parts intact (Monkey’s story and the origins of Tripitaka), the actual... Read Monkey: A Folk Novel of China Summary


Publication year 1990Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Asian Literature, Chinese Literature

“Mother Tongue” explores Amy Tan’s relationship with the English language, her mother, and writing. This nonfiction narrative essay was originally given as a talk during the 1989 State of the Language Symposium; it was later published by The Threepenny Review in 1990. Since then, “Mother Tongue” has been anthologized countless times and won notable awards and honors, including being selected for the 1991 edition of Best American Essays.The original publication of “Mother Tongue,” which this... Read Mother Tongue Summary


Publication year 1912Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: BeautyTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Edith Maude Eaton, who wrote under the pen name Sui Sin Far, wrote Mrs. Spring Fragrance in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. A Chicago press published the collection in 1912. Eaton, who is of Chinese-English heritage, was born in England and grew up in Canada. When she migrated to the western United States as an adult, Eaton penned her first published collection of short stories, Mrs. Spring Fragrance, which details the Asian-American experience. During the... Read Mrs Spring Fragrance Summary


Publication year 1994Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: SexualityTags Asian Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature, Biography, Asian Literature, History: Asian

First published in 1994, Anchee Min’s Red Azalea has won a fair bit of acclaim. It was named a New York Times Notable Book and also won the 1993 Carl Sandburg Literary Award in 1993. As a genre-defying blend of autobiography, memoir, and novel, Red Azalea focuses on the struggle to gain freedom and individual identity amid state-sponsored oppression. As the sole narrator of the novel, Min depicts her own views of the Cultural Revolution... Read Red Azalea Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: FateTags History: World, Asian Literature, Chinese Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Biography

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution (1997) by Ji-li Jiang covers two and a half years in the author’s life, from the spring of 1966 when she was 12 years old to the fall of 1968 when she was 14 (although the Cultural Revolution continued until Mao Ze-dong’s death in 1976). The memoir is also Jiang’s coming-of-age story, as it focuses on a key time in her adolescent development. This study guide... Read Red Scarf Girl Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Art, Relationships: FamilyTags Chinese Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1989Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: ImmigrationTags Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, American Literature, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Chinese Literature, Relationships, History: Asian

“Rules of the Game” is a story in Amy Tan’s 1989 collection, The Joy Luck Club, which was adapted into a film by the same name. Tan was born in California to Chinese immigrant parents and grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. She wrote the short story in response to an article she read about Chinese Americans playing chess.The story is told by Waverly Place Jong, the daughter of Chinese immigrants living in... Read Rules of the Game Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: GlobalizationTags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature, Action / Adventure

Sea of Poppies, a novel by Amitav Ghosh published in 2008, tells the intertwining stories of several people who find themselves aboard the Ibis, a former slave ship, in the early 19th century. The principal characters are aboard the ship under varying and more and less desirable circumstances, and employing varying levels of deception. The novel takes place shortly before the First Opium War, and its major themes are of imperialism and colonialism under a... Read Sea of Poppies Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Space & The UniverseTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure

See You in the Cosmos, a 2017 middle-grade contemporary novel by Jack Cheng, features 11-year-old Alex Petroski as its main character and narrator. Inspired by scientist Carl Sagan, Alex wants to use a hand-built rocket to send audio recordings about life on Earth to extraterrestrial creatures. Though his quest to communicate with alien life fails, Alex finds himself on a much larger journey toward self-identity and truth. The novel is a Golden Kite Award Winner... Read See You in the Cosmos Summary


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Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Immigration, Natural World: Place, Identity: Language, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self DiscoveryTags Satire, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Survival Fiction, Chinese Literature, Immigration / Refugee, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags Asian Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature, Arts / Culture, Historical Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Asian Literature

Shanghai Girls (May 2009) is a New York Times bestselling historical novel by Lisa See. It is the first of a two-book series that concludes with Dreams of Joy (2011). The author’s paternal great-grandfather emigrated from China, and many of See’s books examine the Chinese immigrant experience in America. Other titles that cover similar subject matter are Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2005), Peony in Love (2007), China Dolls (2014), The Tea Girl of... Read Shanghai Girls Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a frame tale, a story within a story, as told by an eighty-year-old Chinese woman, reflecting on her life and preparing for her death. In the first and last chapter, the narrator Lily reveals that she is dictating the story to Peony, the wife of her grandson, as a form of confession to her friend Snow Flower who is now in the afterworld. Lily was born to a... Read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Summary


Publication year 1983Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags Asian Literature, Chinese Literature, Education, Education, Social Science, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography

Son of the Revolution (1983), written by Liang Heng with his wife, Judith Shapiro, is a memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution and is both the story of Liang’s own coming-of-age and a chronicle of China’s political and cultural upheaval following the Communist Party’s rise to power in the mid-1900s.Content Warning: The source material and this guide contain references to violence and death by suicide.Liang Heng is born in Changsha, a large city in central... Read Son of the Revolution Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Chinese Literature, Arts / Culture

Publication year 2002Genre Short Story Collection, FictionTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Magical Realism, Technology, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Information Age, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy

Stories of Your Life and Others is a collection of short stories published in 2002 by the American science fiction and fantasy writer Ted Chiang. The book contains eight stories that belong to science fiction, science fantasy, alternative history, and magic realism genres. Seven of the eight stories appeared in previous publications. In the stories, Chiang explores concepts including the ethics of science, the benefits and dangers of intelligence, and cultural differences in alternate realities... Read Stories of Your Life and Others Summary


Publication year 1989Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags History: U.S., History: Asian, Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, Education, Education, Asian Literature, Sociology, History: World, Chinese Literature

Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans is a 1989 book by American historian Ronald Takaki. Takaki analyzes the long and diverse history of Asians in America, explaining the personal and economic circumstances that prompted their immigration, and recounting their myriad experiences in their new country. Takaki argues that, traditionally, historians’ Eurocentric histories have neglected to analyze and explain Asian Americans’ role in American history. This has led to a distorted perception... Read Strangers from a Different Shore Summary


Genre Book, NonfictionTags Asian Literature, Chinese Literature, Philosophy, History: World, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

The Tao Te Ching is a guide to the philosophy of Taoism and commonly credited to 6th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and writer Lao Tzu, though some portions of the text date back to the late 4th century. Taoism was a school of thought and method for survival in turbulent times, and its eighty-one short books explain what the Tao (roughly translated as “the way”) consists of.The Tao Te Ching begins with the idea that the... Read Tao Te Ching Summary


Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: TeamsTags History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Military / War, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: Asian, Chinese Literature

The Art of War, written in China during the fifth century BCE by military expert Sun Tzu, has been favored reading among soldiers and strategists for two millennia. Its concise 13 chapters, studied to this day by world leaders and generals from Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong to US Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell, teach victory through studying the opponent, building impregnable defenses, confusing the enemy with diversions, and attacking forcefully its weak spots. The book... Read The Art of War Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: RevengeTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction

The Bridegroom (2000) is a short story collection by Ha Jin. The stories touch on themes involving Chinese social life, the intersection of Chinese and American cultural and economic customs, and authority and the individual. The Bridegroom is Ha Jin’s third short story collection, and first following the success of his 1999 novel, Waiting. Each of the stories in The Bridegroom previously appeared in journals, such as Harper’s and The Boston Book Review. Plot SummaryThe... Read The Bridegroom Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: WarTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Chinese Literature

Publication year 1978Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: GenderTags Creative Nonfiction, History: Asian, Chinese Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

The Death of Woman Wang by Jonathan Spence is a nonfiction history focusing on four crises in 17th-century rural China: problems with tax collection; a widow struggling to protect her child and inheritance from her husband’s relatives; a bloody feud; and the attempt of a woman named Wang to leave her husband.It is from the last topic that the book takes its title. Although Spence does not use the term himself, The Death of Woman... Read The Death of Woman Wang Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: CommunityTags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Fame, Society: Immigration, Relationships: FamilyTags Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, Asian Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature

The Fortunes (2016) is a historical novel by British author Peter Ho Davies. Written in the form of four interconnected stories, it details the experiences of various groups of Chinese immigrants and their descendants in the United States. Three of the four stories are based on real, historical figures, and together the narratives form a vast, multi-generational portrait of Chinese American communities across time and in various regions of the US. The four stories take... Read The Fortunes Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: RevengeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Fantasy, Chinese Literature, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction

Publication year 1931Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Place, Society: CommunityTags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, History: Asian, Education, Education, History: World, Chinese Literature

A measure of the quality, prescience, and veracity of Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth is that, nearly a century after its first publication, the book remains required reading in literature, world history, and social science courses. The novel is a simple, straightforward narrative about 50 years in the life of Wang Lung, an uneducated farmer in eastern China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While this era period was one of continual... Read The Good Earth Summary


Publication year 1995Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature, Canadian Literature

The Jade Peony is a 1995 novel by Wayson Choy. The book is divided into three parts, each with a distinct narrator. Each narrator is a child belonging to a Chinese-Canadian family; the novel is set during the escalation of World War II. The book follows each of these characters in a fully developed plot arc. Together, the parts form a tapestry that provides the reader with an incisive and insightful emotional, historical, and sociological... Read The Jade Peony Summary


Publication year 1592Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Mythology, Asian Literature, Classic Fiction, Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Fantasy

The Journey to the West: Volume I (1983), translated and edited by Anthony C. Yu, contains the first 25 chapters of a 100-chapter hero’s epic, an allegory designed to impart knowledge on how to behave and what values to extol. Originally published in the late 16th century during the late Ming Dynasty, this epic is “loosely based on the famous pilgrimage of Xuanzang…the monk who went from China to India in quest of Buddhist scriptures”... Read Journey to the West: Volume I Summary


Publication year 1989Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: FateTags Realistic Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Relationships, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Asian Literature, American Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Classic Fiction

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (1989) follows the stories of four Chinese women who immigrate to America and their American-born daughters. This was Tan’s first novel, a highly-acclaimed New York Times best-seller and winner of the 1989 California Book Award for Fiction. It was adapted into a film in 1993 and was the first wide American film release with a predominantly Asian American cast.Plot SummaryThe Joy Luck Club is divided into four parts... Read The Joy Luck Club Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Romance, WWII / World War II, Asian Literature, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature

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Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: MusicTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Parenting

The Leavers, author Lisa Ko's debut novel, won the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. Inspired by a 2009 New York Times article about an undocumented Chinese woman held in predominantly solitary detention for 18 months, The Leavers tells the coming-of-age tale of Deming Guo/Daniel Wilkinson’s loss and eventual reconciliation with his birth mother, Polly Guo. In his journey to find his mother, Daniel learns of Polly’s challenges and comes to terms with his... Read The Leavers Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Chinese Literature, Mental Illness, Fantasy

Publication year 1984Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: GlobalizationTags Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Biography, Chinese Literature, Religion / Spirituality

Jonathan D. Spence’s The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci (1984) is a biography of 16th-century Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci. Spence is a former professor of history at Yale University and a specialist in Chinese history. The biography is a study of cross-cultural exchange between Ming China and Counter-Reformation Europe. It charts Ricci’s attempts to teach a mnemonic device called the memory palace to scholarly elites in Ming China and his experiences as a missionary in... Read The Memory Palace Of Matteo Ricci Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: ColonialismTags Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo was published in 2020. Like Choo's debut novel, The Ghost Bride (2013), The Night Tiger is a mixture of genres, including mythology and historical fiction, and it is a New York Times bestseller. The Night Tiger chronicles the period between May and July of 1931. The setting is colonial-era Malaysia, or “Malaya.”Plot SummaryChinese house servant Ren, is a 10-year-old orphan who’s mourning the death of his master, Dr. MacFarlane... Read The Night Tiger Summary


Publication year 1925Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Relationships: MarriageTags Romance, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction, History: World, Chinese Literature

The Painted Veil (1925) is the 11th novel by British novelist and playwright William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). He obtained the title from the opening lines of an untitled sonnet by British Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, posthumously published in 1824: “Lift not the painted veil which those who live / Call Life” (Shelley, Percy Bysshe. “Lift Not the Painted Veil.” 1824. Reprint. The Reader, 6 Feb. 2017. Accessed 17 Jul. 2022). The novel originally appeared... Read The Painted Veil Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Life/Time: The PastTags Fantasy, Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories is a collection of 15 short stories from the award-winning science fiction author, Ken Liu. The collection includes tales of magical realism, futuristic technology, historical fiction, and gritty noir. Simon and Schuster published the book in 2016.Through these narratives, which often switch back from past to present or from story to book excerpts or legends, Liu invokes several diverse worlds with many Asian protagonists. In his stories, he references... Read The Paper Menagerie Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Book, NonfictionTags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World, WWII / World War II, Military / War, Chinese Literature, Japanese Literature, Politics / Government

The Rape of Nanking is a historical nonfiction book published in 1997 by American author and journalist Iris Chang. Subtitled The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II, the book chronicles the 1937 Nanking massacre, during which the Imperial Japanese Army, over a six-week period, killed between 260,000 and 400,000 Chinese noncombatants and raped between 20,000 and 80,000 women. The Rape of Nanking was enormously influential in drawing attention to Japanese wartime atrocities, earning Chang numerous... Read The Rape of Nanking Summary


Publication year 1994Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature, Japanese Literature

The Samurai’s Garden tells the story of Stephen Chan, a 20-year-old Chinese painter, writer, and student who, at the urging of his upper-middle-class parents, leaves school in Canton to spend a year recuperating from an undisclosed illness at his family’s beach house in Tarumi, Japan. The narrative present of the novel is set during the first year of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).The novel is character-driven. Stephen’s traditional Chinese mother lives at the family home... Read The Samurai's Garden Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: FamilyTags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Chinese Literature, History: World

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & SonsTags Asian Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Arts / Culture

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane is a novel by contemporary American writer Lisa See. See is one-eighth Chinese, and most of her books feature Chinese history and traditions. First published in 2017, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane centers around the story of a young girl named Li-yan, who lives with her family in remote tea mountains of China. In their everyday life, her village relies on rituals, belief, and taboos, and they are... Read The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: WarTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Chinese Literature, Anthropology, Climate Change, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Technology, History: Asian

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Chinese Literature, Fantasy

The Tiger Flu by Larissa Lai is a work of dystopian speculative fiction first published in 2018 by Arsenal Pulp Press, an independent publisher based in Vancouver, Canada. With its focus on futuristic technologies that merge and manipulate human biology, The Tiger Flu can be subclassified as a cyber/biopunk thriller. The book won the 2019 Lambda Literary Award, which recognizes and celebrates the best LGBTQ books of the year. A Chinese Canadian, lesbian writer, Larissa... Read The Tiger Flu Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Romance

The Valley of Amazement, a work of historical fiction first published in 2013, is the sixth novel by author Amy Tan. This guide refers to the Kindle Edition for citations. Tan primarily writes about the complexity of the mother-daughter bond and about the experience of being Chinese American. In The Valley of Amazement, a mother and daughter recount their lives in early-20th-century Shanghai and San Francisco.Tan’s debut novel, The Joy Luck Club (1989), became a... Read The Valley of Amazement Summary


Publication year 1976Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Relationships: FamilyTags Asian Literature, Chinese Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, Gender / Feminism, Classic Fiction, Biography

The Woman Warrior (1976) is an experimental memoir by Chinese-American author Maxine Hong Kingston. The book weaves together stories of Kingston’s childhood in California and her mother’s youth in rural China with folklore, legend, and myth, defying easy genre classification.The book is divided into five parts. In the first, “No-Name Woman,” Kingston imagines different life stories for an aunt she never met—a woman who drowned herself and her baby after being expelled from her village... Read The Woman Warrior Summary


Publication year 1981Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Asian Literature, Chinese Literature, Education, Education, Asian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Thousand Pieces of Gold is a biographical novel written by Ruthanne Lum McCunn. McCunn is known for writing about the lives of often-forgotten Chinese Americans, and Thousand Pieces of Gold follows the life of Polly Bemis, a Chinese American woman considered to be one of the most important female pioneers in Idaho in the 19th century. The novel explores themes such as The Burden and Pain of Family Betrayal, Gender Expectations and the Quest for... Read Thousand Pieces of Gold Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Novel, FictionTags Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Education, Education, Asian Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break (1999) is a young adult historical novel by Lensey Namioka that won the 2000 Washington State Book Award and the 2004 California Young Readers Medal for Young Adults. It focuses on a young Chinese girl growing up during a revolutionary period in the 1920s who refuses to have her feet bound as tradition dictates. A sequel, An Ocean Apart, A World Away (2002) focuses on the main character’s best... Read Ties That Bind, Ties That Break Summary


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Publication year 1992Genre Novel, FictionTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, History: Asian, Historical Fiction, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

To Live, a 1993 realist novel by renowned Chinese author Yu Hua, traces the struggles of protagonist Fugui and his family. Instead of using traditional chapters, the novel is broken into italicized and non-italicized sections based on whether Fugui or his unnamed interlocutor is narrating. Spanning over four decades of modern Chinese history, including the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45), the civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists (1945-49), the founding of the People’s Republic... Read To Live Summary


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Publication year 1989Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: FamilyTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan is a short story from the collection The Joy Luck Club, which was originally published in 1989. The full short story collection was adapted for film as the eponymous Joy Luck Club in 1993. Amy Tan and Ronald Bass adapted the screenplay. The series portrays first and second-generation Chinese immigrants living out the “American dream” in current day Chinatown, San Francisco. Through a series of 16 linked stories, four women... Read Two Kinds Summary


Publication year 1991Genre Novel, FictionTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Typical American is a 1991 novel by Gish Jen that depicts the lives of three Chinese immigrants who move to America to escape political turmoil. The novel portrays their struggles with racism, American culture, and consumerism. Jen’s debut novel, Typical American was selected as a finalist for the 1991 National Book Critics Circle Award. Jen, herself a first-generation Chinese American, has since written several other novels, in addition to nonfiction books, short stories, and articles.Content... Read Typical American Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: GlobalizationTags History: World, Business / Economics, History: European, Chinese Literature, Travel Literature, Arts / Culture

Vermeer’s Hat (2007) is a work of nonfiction by Canadian historian Timothy Brook. The full title of the book, Vermeer’s Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World, indicates Brook’s comprehensive outlook—positioning Johannes Vermeer, a Dutch painter from the city of Delft in the Netherlands known for his use of light and the textual clues that abound in his artwork within the context of his contemporaries and the larger world. Brook uses... Read Vermeer's Hat Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Technology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure

Marie Lu’s young adult science fiction Warcross (2017) is the first book in the Warcross series. Set in the future, bounty hunter Emika Chen takes part in an international online game to track down her mark. Lu writes primarily dystopian and science fiction for young adults and is well known for her bestselling trilogy, Legend. Kirkus Reviews included Warcross on its Best Teen Science Fiction books of 2017. This guide references the 2017 Random House... Read Warcross Summary


Publication year 1994Genre Biography, NonfictionTags Historical Fiction, History: Asian, Education, Education, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: World, Chinese Literature, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure

When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405–1433 is a nonfiction book published in 1994 by Louise Levathes. In a narrative that predates the voyages of Christopher Columbus, Levathes examines a three-decade period in the early 15th century when China launched seven major sea voyages. Levathes holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and worked for ten years as a staff writer for National Geographic. In 1990, she... Read When China Ruled the Seas Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Children's Literature, Chinese Literature

When the Sea Turned Silver by Grace Lin takes readers on a journey through a richly imagined world full of imagery and Chinese folklore. The novel follows the adventures of Pinmei and Yishan as they navigate themes of Finding and Creating Identity, The Power of Stories, and how Perception Shapes Reality. Recognized for its storytelling and cultural depth, When the Sea Turned Silver was a 2016 National Book Award Finalist. Critics praise the novel for... Read When the Sea Turned to Silver Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: FamilyTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, History: Asian, Race / Racism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature

When We Were Orphans is a novel by distinguished Japanese-British writer Kazuo Ishiguro, originally published in the UK in 2000. Set largely in England and Shanghai of the 1930s, the historical novel is structurally adventurous with elements of detective fiction. The plot deals with the childhood memories and the present detective work of a man in search of his missing parents, while painting a large canvass of the social systems in China and the UK... Read When We Were Orphans Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionTags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Chinese Literature, Action / Adventure

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin is a middle grade fantasy fiction novel that takes inspiration from Chinese folklore and details the journey of a young girl, Minli, as she embarks on a hero's quest to improve her family’s circumstances. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon became a New York Times bestseller and received a Newbery Honor Award and the 2010 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature. Lin penned a companion book... Read Where The Mountain Meets The Moon Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family, Relationships: MarriageTags Immigration / Refugee, Education, Education, History: U.S., Asian Literature, Chinese Literature

Publication year 1991Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags History: Asian, Asian Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature, Politics / Government, Biography

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (1991) is a family history and autobiography by Chinese writer Jung Chang. Set against the backdrop of 20th-century China, in particular the first three decades of Communist rule (1949-1978), Wild Swans appeared in print at an important historical moment. Communism was under siege worldwide. In 1991, the year of the book’s original publication, the Soviet Union collapsed. Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist government’s violent crackdown on pro-freedom demonstrators at Tiananmen... Read Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China Summary