Singing

A Song Everlasting

The latest novel by Ha Jin, the author of the National Book Award-winning "Waiting"
"How political can singing a few songs be?"

A public concert unexpectedly touched upon the politically sensitive relationship between the US, China, and Taiwan. What crime did singing commit?
If a Chinese artist chooses freedom, what price will he have to pay?

"The Chinese government is not afraid of an exile engaging in anti-communist activities abroad; it is afraid of individuals who, separated from the state and government, can still live a fulfilling life and expose the myths of the state." - Ha Jin
The artist's road to freedom awakening exposes the various tyrannies and red infiltrations in China over the past decade.
"As long as you have no regrets, you shouldn't be afraid of death."
"I know freedom is painful, but compared to the pain of tyranny, I would rather suffer the pain of freedom."

Yao Tian, ​​a renowned Chinese prima soloist, completed his US tour with his song and dance troupe. To help fund his daughter's overseas studies, he secretly accepted a commercial performance organized by local Chinese New Yorkers. The consequences spiraled out of control. Upon returning to Taiwan, Yao Tian was informed that the performance was funded by a pro-independence group in Taiwan, and he was required to submit a letter of repentance. Just as his superiors demanded the confiscation of his passport, Yao Tian, ​​impulsively, returned to New York to protest the Chinese Communist regime's threat to his artistic freedom.

With the help of his old friend Yabin, Yao Tian's overseas concert career flourished. However, he soon found himself on the Chinese government's blacklist, and his career began to suffer setbacks. Yao Tian knew that unless he publicly denounced the very premise of his new life—freedom—he would never be able to return to China. Regardless, Yao Tian remained steadfast in his commitment to his singing voice, refusing to sell it.

I love freedom more than anything else, even if it makes me timid or afraid, even if it takes me a long time to get used to it.

After a five-year hiatus, Ha Jin's latest novel features a Chinese singer renowned internationally, yet without personal choice. What is the price of freedom? To whom do artists owe repentance? If the state betrays the people, do the people not have the right to betray the state? Through the lens of a Chinese artist, Ha Jin journeys from initial political apathy to the courage to break free from the state apparatus, discovering the possibility of rebuilding his life and even becoming a symbol of "freedom." Adhering to realism, the author, through the protagonist Yao Tian's experiences and trials, allows readers to witness the pure and absolute nature of freedom. From exile to immigration, the author unsparingly depicts the hardships, both physical and spiritual, that artists today must endure in a foreign land, a truly awe-inspiring narrative.

Sincerely recommended by heavyweight experts
Wang Dewei, Huang Chunming, Shan Dexing, Li Youcheng, Yan Zeya
International acclaim
“The ‘song’ of the title is a song of freedom, sung quietly but constantly, a tune that people around the world can follow. And at this moment, for those who have forgotten it, it has a special resonance.” – The Boston Globe

"Ha Jin's detailed description of China's surveillance of the internet lends the novel a strong sense of realism." - The New York Times

"Yao Tian's story surpasses 'Free Life'." - The New Yorker
"Ha Jin, author of the National Book Award-winning novel 'Waiting,' explores what it means to be an artist in his new work through the story of Chinese singer Yao Tian, ​​whose performance in New York City puts his safety and relations with China and Taiwan at risk." - Good Morning America

2022-05-31

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