Promotional Information

'A carefully wrought novel-a story that is worth telling, and intriguingly told' Guardian 20030723

About the Author

Shan Sa was born in 1972 in Beijing. She left China for France in 1990, studied in Paris and worked for two years for the painter Balthus. Her two previous novels were awarded the Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman and the Prix Cazes.

Reviews

"Measured . . . Precise . . . The historical backdrop, itself a forceful character, provides a compelling context for this economical story of impossible love."
-Sara Ivry, "San Francisco Chronicle"
"Spare prose adorned with images that linger in the mind . . . In this elegant translation . . . the dreamlike, mesmerizing alternation of voices stands in uneasy contrast to the operatic violence of the plot."
-Janice P. Nimura, "New York Times Book Review
"
"What makes Sa's novel so satisfying is the deceptive simplicity of her narrative strategy . . . We watch in fascination as the terrible secrets of their lives begin to coincide."
-Charles Matthews, "San Jose Mercury News
"
"Shan manipulates the scope of silence with a wisdom beyond her years."
-Elsa Gaztambide, "Booklist
"
"Dreamy . . . powerful . . . this unlikely love story . . . is beautiful, shocking, and sad."
-Jennifer Reese, "Entertainment Weekly
"
"Lovely and delicate as a carved jade flower . . . This is beautiful writing."
-Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal
"
"Harrowing . . . While exploring epic themes like the loss of innocence and the meaning of honor, it lingers on the tiny, exquisite details of life in a remote, cosmopolitan Manchurian town in the thirties."
-Elizabeth Schmidt, "Vogue
" "From the Hardcover edition."

"Measured . . . Precise . . . The historical backdrop, itself a forceful character, provides a compelling context for this economical story of impossible love."-Sara Ivry, "San Francisco Chronicle" "Spare prose adorned with images that linger in the mind . . . In this elegant translation . . . the dreamlike, mesmerizing alternation of voices stands in uneasy contrast to the operatic violence of the plot."-Janice P. Nimura, "New York Times Book Review""What makes Sa's novel so satisfying is the deceptive simplicity of her narrative strategy . . . We watch in fascination as the terrible secrets of their lives begin to coincide."-Charles Matthews, "San Jose Mercury News""Shan manipulates the scope of silence with a wisdom beyond her years."-Elsa Gaztambide, "Booklist""Dreamy . . . powerful . . . this unlikely love story . . . is beautiful, shocking, and sad."-Jennifer Reese, "Entertainment Weekly""Lovely and delicate as a carved jade flower . . . This is beautiful writing."-Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal""Harrowing . . . While exploring epic themes like the loss of innocence and the meaning of honor, it lingers on the tiny, exquisite details of life in a remote, cosmopolitan Manchurian town in the thirties."-Elizabeth Schmidt, "Vogue" "From the Hardcover edition."

In her first novel to appear in English (her two previous novels, published in French, won the Prix Goncourt and the Prix Cazes), Sa masterfully evokes strife-ridden Manchuria during the 1930s. The first-person narration deftly alternates between a 16-year-old Chinese girl and a Japanese soldier from the invading force. As in the Chinese game of go, the two main characters-the girl discovering desire, the soldier visiting prostitutes, both in a besieged city-will ultimately cross paths, with surprising consequences for both. Sa's prose shifts between lavish metaphor-the girl's sister, grieved by an adulterous husband, is "not a woman but a flower slowly wilting"-and matter-of-fact concision ("We weary of the game and kill them," the soldier says of two Chinese prisoners, "two bullets in the head"). The most absorbing subplot is Sa's careful rendering of the girl's sexual awakening. Though at first intrigued by a liaison with a revolution-minded student, she is reluctant to enter adulthood, a state she views as fraught with injury and falsehood, "a sad place full of vanity." To escape her increasingly troubled life, she becomes a master at go, eventually taking on the soldier, who is in disguise. As the two meet to play, they gradually become entranced, even while war rages around them. The alternating parallel tales add an extra spark of energy to this swift-moving novel, as Sa portrays tenderness and brutality with equal clarity. (Oct. 16) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Adult/High School-It might seem incongruous that a book that is rife with war, death, and human misery is distinguished by its light and delicate touch, but that is exactly the case with this novel. The tale itself is that of the 16-year-old girl of the title and a young Japanese lieutenant and takes place in his nation's puppet state in Manchuria the year before the Japanese invasion of China in 1937. The two come into contact in the town square, where people come to play go, a game of strategy somewhat similar to chess or checkers. They are both skilled players who enjoy the game and the escape it provides them. But this is not another tale of young love, awash in melodrama. Each chapter is short, no more than a few pages long, and written from the perspective of one or the other protagonist. This structure allows the author to capture the moods of the characters with brilliant simplicity and to the fullest effect, not only for the moment, but also for the progression of the story. This technique works well here, breathing new life into what might appear an old tale.-Ted Westervelt, Library of Congress, Washington, DC Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.