Beautiful Days

Discover the beauty of everyday life in this two-story collection from China. The first, A Riot of Brilliant Purple and Tender Crimson, examines the disparate love lives of a father and his daughter. Echoing the lyrics in the Kun Opera The Peony Pavilion, this is a brilliantly executed story. Beautiful Days, the title story, is a deceptively simple story of an old woman trying to pick a daughter-in-law for her son, and the difficulties of the task. The novel, focusing on daily subjects, reflects how extraordinary things can be seen in ordinary people and the motions of their lives.

Born in Shanghai in 1976, Ms. Teng Xiaolan is a professional writer and a member of the Chinese Writers' Association. Ms. Teng has been published in several Chinese literary magazines. Her works include the novel The Moonlight in the City and the short story collections Ten Roses, Such an Outrageous Love and Subtle Love in a Big City.