Chronicle of a Blood Merchant

Oneofthelastdecade’stenmostinfluentialbooksinChina,thisinternationallyacclaimednovelbyoneofthemainland’smostimportantcontemporarywritersprovidesanunflinchingportraitoflifeunderChairmanMao.Acart-pusherinasilkmill,XuSanguanaugmentshismeagersalarywithregularvisitstothelocalbloodchief.HisvisitsbecomelethallyfrequentashestrugglestoprovideforhiswifeandthreesonsattheheightoftheCulturalRevolution.Shatteredtodiscoverthathisfavoritesonwasactuallybornofaliaisonbetweenhiswifeandaneighbor,hesuffershisgreatestindignity,whilehiswifeispubliclyscornedasaprostitute.AlthoughthepovertyandbetrayalsofMao’sregimehavedrainedhim,XuSanguanultimatelyfindsstrengthinthebloodtiesofhisfamily.Withrareemotionalintensity,grippinglyrawdescriptionsofplaceandtime,andclear-eyedcompassion,YuHuagivesusastunningtapestryofhumanlifeinthegraveparticularsofoneman’sdays.