Pearl of China A Novel

It is the end of the nineteenth century and China is riding on the crest of great change, but for nine-year-old Willow, the only child of a destitute family in the small southern town of Chin-kiang, nothing ever seems to change. Until the day she meets Pearl, the eldest daughter of a zealous American missionary. Pearl is head-strong, independent and fiercely intelligent, and will grow up to be Pearl S Buck, the Pulitzer- and Nobel Prize-winning writer and humanitarian activist, but for now all Willow knows is that she has never met anyone like her in all her life. From the start the two are thick as thieves, but when the Boxer Rebellion rocks the nation, Pearl's family is forced to leave China to flee religious persecution. As the twentieth century unfolds in all its turmoil, through right-wing military coups and Mao's Red Revolution, through bad marriages and broken dreams, the two girls cling to their lifelong friendship across the sea. In this ambitious and moving new novel, Anchee Min, acclaimed author of Empress Orchid and Red Azalea, brings to life a courageous and passionate woman who loved the country of her childhood and who has been hailed in China as a modern heroine.

Anchee Min was born in Shanghai in 1957. At seventeen she was sent to a labor collective, where a talent scout for Madame Mao's Shanghai Film Studio recruited her to work as a movie actress. She moved to the United States in 1984. Her memoir, Red Azalea, was an international bestseller, published in twenty countries.

"[Anchee] Min, a prime example of an indomitable Chinese woman, has made it her mission to reveal the truth about the lives of women in China, including Madame Mao, Empress Tzu Hsi, and now Buck … Ardently detailed, dramatic, and encompassing, Min’s fresh and penetrating interpretation of Pearl S. Buck’s extraordinary life delivers profound psychological, spiritual, and historical insights within an unforgettable cross-cultural story of a quest for veracity, compassion, and justice."—Booklist, (starred review)

"In those moments, when human emotions transcend cultural and geographical borders, Min echoes Buck’s talent for showing compassion and empathy toward her characters, and like her, reveals the power and dignity contained in the lives of ordinary people." —Associated Press

"Pearl of China is a loving tribute to Buck and a unique peek into the hearts and lives of the Chinese people who knew her. As with all of her books, Min -- like Buck before her -- exposes the cruel, isolating existence that China's rulers inflicted on much of the country's population during the different decades that the two women lived there. And both women showed the inspiring, courageous ways in which even the most besieged of the lowest classes maintained their wit and humanity."—Oregonian    "Pearl of China is worthy of reading simply because of the author's ambition of showing how literature can affect history as well as the psyche."—Asian Review of Books

"A gifted and lyrical writer."—Los Angeles Times

"Min's narrative is most fascinating as we watch her characters negotiate the conundrum that is Mao's China."—City Pages

"A captivating read…Pearl of China is the story of two women's lives, but larger still, it is a history filled with insights into the common people of China lives. Although it is a work of fiction, it is wonderfully, historically accurate…I recommend Pearl of China as a great read for all."—Des Moines Register

"Min’s writing is poetic and immediate …infused with sensuous details and exacting dialogues."—Sarah Bagby, Watermark Books

"In this excellent interpretation of Pearl’s story from a Chinese perspective told with a haunting quality only Anchee Min can deliver, the bestselling author of Red Azalea and Empress Orchid again focuses her attention on influential women of her native China … this rewarding read passes far too quickly."—Bookreporter.com

"Min skillfully blends real historical figures … with fictional characters to authenticate the story’s social and political context … [Pearl of China] presents a welcome addition to Min’s long list of strong female characters, and pays worthy homage to Pearl Buck’s legacy."—San Francisco Chronicle

"There is something absolutely delicious about stories where real people and places are mixed with fictional characters. That’s the case in Anchee Min’s novel Pearl of China…a lovely and engaging read."—Costco Connection