Old Town

Lin Zhe, one of Chinas most prolific writers, paints an unforgettable picture of an ordinary family caught up in the maelstrom that was Chinas most recent century. Her narrative ranges across the entire length of China, to California and back again, to the battlefields of the Anti-Japanese War of Resistance and the brutal struggle sessions of the Cultural Revolution. But it always returns to this familys home in Old Town, that archetypical, old-fashioned, and vanishing place steeped in the traditions of South China. Ms. Lin examines the inner strength that sustains peoples lives in their darkest hours, when religious and political faith falter. And yet, a vein of irony and droll humor runs through this powerful story. Lin Zhes novel may be understood as a love story, memoir, history, or allegory. For the non-Chinese reader it provides a rare and moving insight into Chinese lives in a century of fearsome upheaval. This book was originally published under the title Riddles of BeliefAnd LoveA Story. See more