Homeland: An Exile's Story

This epic masterpiece by renowned author Harold Hale, Director of the Asia Society's Center on U.S.-China Relations, has received rave reviews.

A dazzling novel, deeply historical and psychologically insightful. The gripping narrative is both nuanced and searing, depicting China under Communist rule through captivating characters and indelible scenes. —Winston Lord, former United States ambassador to China

From a uniquely experienced China watcher comes this unstoppable history of the relentless attacks on a father and son from Mao's rise to power in 1949 to the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989.

Pianist Li Tongshu was one of the few Chinese to graduate from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1950. After becoming engaged to a Chinese-American violinist whose father was a missionary and whose mother was from Shanghai, he was immediately captivated by Mao Zedong's promise to "build a new China" and the unwavering enthusiasm of numerous overseas Chinese artists and scientists to return home and contribute. Like these artists and scientists, Li Tongshu held immense hope in Mao's promise to revitalize China. Therefore, when the newly established Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing invited Li Tongshu to teach there, he immediately bid farewell to San Francisco with his new wife and returned to his homeland.

However, Li Tongshu was not allowed to teach and instead became ensnared in Mao Zedong's frenzied revolution. Mao deeply distrusted Li Tongshu's Western education and his American wife. The political chaos and ideological turmoil would later draw in Li Tongshu's son, Xiao Li, and would not only devastate the Li family but ultimately undermine the very fabric of Chinese society.

Celebrity recommendations

Xia Wei's masterful epic novel is both insightful and heartbreaking. With moving authenticity, he depicts the experiences of two generations of Chinese intellectuals as they navigate the trials of revolution and the throes of reform. This book is also a reflection in exile, exploring with wistful humor the dilemma of survival caught between China and America. It is an ode to "cultural hybrids" struggling for a sense of belonging and personal dignity. Music, with its extraordinary power, offers comfort in this journey. —Jianying Zha, author of Tide Players

Xia Wei has combined his lifelong hopes, anxieties, and wisdom about China into this extraordinary work, creating a deeply moving epic story. Few people can write such a great novel. --Adam Hochschild, author of Rebel Cinderella

This is a dazzling novel, deeply historical and psychologically insightful. The gripping narrative is both nuanced and searing, depicting China under Communist rule through captivating characters and indelible scenes. Harold is a refined craftsman, a renowned scholar and master of the arts, and this novel is a brilliant mosaic that deeply moves and inspires its readers, evoking both unique and universal resonances. —Winston Lord, former United States ambassador to China

Xia Wei has devoted his life to writing non-fiction books, but now he shares Camus’s conviction that “fictional fiction is a lie, and through this lie we tell the truth.” —Perry Link, author of An Anatomy of Chinese

The epic scale and precise detail of Harvey's novel are breathtaking, revealing the depths of his heart. Filled with humor and sentiment, Harvey imbues his characters, both real and imagined, with yearning, courage, and his own undeniable integrity. It's a masterpiece. —Peter Sellars, director of the opera "Nixon in China"

2024-08-07

允晨文化

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