Xinran Books

Set against the backdrop of China's late 1980s reforms, this collection captures the voices of women who called into Xinran's radio show, "Words on the Night Breeze." Through their candid stories, these women share their struggles, frustrations, and journeys towards self-awareness in a repressive society. Xinran, navigating government censorship, compiles these heartfelt accounts, creating a powerful oral history that sheds light on decades of civil strife and the resilience of Chinese women. The result is both poignant and inspiring.

An epic story of Tibet from the author of The Good Women of China As a young girl in China Xinran heard a rumour about a soldier in Tibet who had been brutally fed to the vultures in a ritual known as a sky burial: the tale frightened and fascinated her.

With journalistic acumen and a novelist's flair, Xinran tells the remarkable stories of men and women born in China after 1979 - the recent generations raised under China's single-child policy. At a time when the country continues to transform at the speed of light, these generations of precious 'one and onlies' are burdened with expectation, yet have often been brought up without any sense of responsibility. Within their families, they are revered as 'little emperors' and 'suns', although such cosseting can come at a high price: isolation, confusion and an inability to deal with life's challenges. From the business man's son unable to pack his own suitcase, to the PhD student who pulled herself out of extreme rural poverty, Xinran shows how these generations embody the hopes and fears of a great nation at a time of unprecedented change. It is a time of fragmentation, heart-breaking and inspiring in equal measure, in which capitalism vies with communism, the city with the countryside and Western opportunity with Eastern tradition. Through the fascinating stories of these only children, we catch a startling glimpse of the emerging face of China.

The follow-up to 'The Good Women of China', this book is a collection of stories from Chinese mothers who have lost or had to abandon their daughters.

The Li sisters don't have much education, but one thing has been drummed into them: their mother is a failure because she hasn't managed to produce a son, and they themselves only merit a number as a name. Yet when circumstances lead the sisters to seek work in distant Nanjing, the shocking new urban environment opens their eyes.

China – wem kommt da nicht das Bild von Menschenmassen in den Sinn? Doch dieses Volk, weiß Xinran, ist der wahre Schatz des riesigen Landes. Zum ersten Mal kommt nun die ältere Generation zu Wort und die einfachen Leute auf der Straße. Ein Taxifahrer, ein Kräuterweib und sogar ein Bandit erzählen Xinran von den Umwälzungen, mit denen sie fertig werden mussten, von Verfolgung, Revolution und Verwestlichung. Geschichten, die China aus einem neuen Blickwinkel zeigen.

Warum waschen Chinesen sich täglich die Füße? Aus welchem Grund tragen Chinesinnen auch im Sommer immer Strümpfe? Und gibt es überhaupt etwas, das Chinesen nicht essen? China ist ein Land voller Gegensätze. Die bekannte Autorin Xinran, die seit langem in Europa lebt, öffnet uns mit ihren Geschichten aus ihrer Heimat die Augen für die Merkwürdigkeiten des chinesischen Alltags und erklärt auch, warum die Chinesen Mao noch immer lieben.

Tien portretten van Chinese vrouwen die dochters te vondeling hebben gelegd.