‘One of the masters of modern Chinese literature’ Jung Chang

A searing novel that traces the destruction of a community in communist China.

Told through the eyes of Xiao Qiang, a young boy, this deeply moving novel shares the tragic story of the blood-contamination scandal in China’s Henan province.

Looking for a way to lift Ding Village from poverty, its directors and organisers open blood-plasma collection stations, hoping to sell the plasma to those in need. At first the scheme is a commercial success. Soon, however, whole communities are wiped out after contracting HIV. As Xiao narrates the fate of Ding Village, his family is torn apart by suspicion and retribution.

‘The defining work of his career… A devastating critique of China’s runaway development’ Guardian