Three Sisters

Three Sisters is a sweeping family saga set in the early years of Mao's reign. From the petty treachery of the village to the slogans of the Cultural Revolution and the harried pace of city life, three sisters strive to change the course of their destinies as they battle against an infinite ocean of people in a China that does not truly belong to them. Yumi, the eldest, struggles to retain dignity as her ideal marriage falters. Yuxiu relies on her talent for seduction. And, Yuyang, the youngest, lays her hope in her own intelligence, securing the education that her sisters were denied. An irreplaceable portrait of contemporary Chinese culture - of lives unknown but immediately familiar, this is a stunning depiction of the challenges facing women in communist China, as well as a powerful examination of the ruptures and bonds of sisterhood. Translated by Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin.