Jia Pingwa Books

Following Hai Ruo, the owner of the teashop, and her sisterhood of a dozen friends. Plagued by unhappy relationships with men and their struggles with business and politics.

Constantly bickering with her shallow friend Brow, beginning correspondence courses she will never finish, helping sage-like Grandpa Cloud Forest with his mystical healing and stealthily avoiding matrimony with her less-than-impressive fiancé Old Ran, Plum's life appears to be puttering along what seems like a tediously predictable path. But when the village home she cherishes comes under threat from big city capitalists, she finds herself thrust into a series of adventures with a mercurial rogue called Chivalry. Jia Pingwa's The Earthen Gate was an instant bestseller in his native China and now looks set to make waves in its first-ever English translation, two decades later. This raucous, and at times achingly poignant tale combines earthy humour, ancient wisdom and thrilling action to highlight the impact of creeping urbanisation on traditional country folk.

Modern master Jia Pingwa's novel which retells the turbulent birth of modern China from its rural margins. High in the mountains of central China a dying funeral singer tells four interweaved tragedies of all-too-human players caught in the earthly struggles of revolt and reform, and the mythic cycle of avarice, vengeance and suffering.

Set against the backdrop of contemporary China's rapid social and economic changes, this novel offers a vivid and provocative exploration of the era. Initially banned for its explicit content, it has since gained recognition as a significant work in Chinese literature. The translation by Howard Goldblatt allows English-speaking audiences to appreciate Jia Pingwa's sharp social satire and rich narrative style, making it a landmark piece that reflects the complexities of modern Chinese society.

Set in rural China, this novel offers a vivid exploration of life in a transforming society through the lens of two peasants navigating their love lives during the post-Mao era. The narrative captures the beauty and struggles of their world, blending elements that feel both foreign and relatable. Praised for its depth and insight, the story reveals the complexities of love amid societal change, showcasing Pingwa's skill in portraying the intimate details of human experience.

In this captivating collection from the Shaanxi region, considered the cradle of Chinese civilization, twenty disparate and unique voices come together to show a China caught between new-world advancements and old-world traditions. From the homeland of China’s first dynasty and the world-famous terra-cotta warriors, these tales show rugged rural life colliding with fast-paced city life; hollow arranged marriages juxtaposed with torrid forbidden love affairs; and the vanity of newly minted millionaires clashing with the desperation of the poor. Through the eyes of award-winning authors, we see a changing China―from the Cultural Revolution to the country’s infamous one-child policy―giving us a profound look at the evolution of a land that is at once ancient and modern.

Winner of the Mao Dun Literature Prize. From one of China's most celebrated authors comes a masterful novel about modernity and tradition, love and obsession, and economic change and quixotic dreams--all set against the backdrop of a rapidly urbanizing China. In post-Cultural Revolution China, in the fading village of Freshwind, the fates of two households are shifting. The Bais, once the most powerful family in the region, have fallen from status. Their beautiful daughter, Snow Bai, an embodiment of tradition, pursues a career in a vanishing art form. The Xias, enthusiastic members of the Party, are on the rise. Their favorite son, Wind Xia, is a citified politician whose marriage to Snow Bai could unite the two families. But in a village casting about for a new road to prosperity, fortunes can change. Watching it all unfold is a local outcast named Spark. The inveterate busybody is given to strange visions and flights of fancy, and is motivated by the only constant in Freshwind: his mad love for Snow Bai. Expansive, funny, monumental, and deeply poignant, Jia Pingwa's The Shaanxi Opera is a keenly observant portrait of China in an era of globalization, societal upheaval, and the growing influence of popular culture.

Broken Wings tells the story of Butterfly, who is kidnapped and taken to a remote mountain village devoid of young women. There, she is imprisoned and, later, raped in the cave home of the wifeless farmer who has bought her. Butterfly's fading hopes of escape are described in her own voice, revealing the struggles of a spirited young woman.

"First published in English by AmazonCrossing in 2017."