Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress: A Novel - Softcover

"An unexpected miracle-a delicate, and often hilarious, tale." --Los Angeles Times Book Review

"A funny, touching, sly and altogether delightful novel . . . about the power of art to enlarge our imaginations." --The Washington Post Book World

"Poetic and affecting. . . . The descriptions of life in this strangest of times and places are so riveting that the reader longs for more." --The New York Times Book Review

"[A] thrilling and . . . truly great work. . . . [A] richly complex fable." --San Francisco Chronicle Book Review

"Gives the rest of the world a glimpse into that dark place where the human spirit continues, against all odds, to shine its light." --The Boston Globe

"A wonderful novel . . . formed by detailed layering and exquisite craftsmanship, like a beautifully tailored garment." --The Chicago Tribune

"Poignant, humorous, and romantic." --The New York Times

"Seduces readers into its world. . . . [A] very wise little story of love and illusion." --The Philadelphia Inquirer

At the height of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, two young boys are sent to the country for "reeducation" at a remote mountain village, where their lives take an unexpected turn when they meet the beautiful daughter of a local tailor and stumble upon a forbidden stash of Western classics in Chinese translations. A first novel. Reader's Guide available. Reprint. 125,000 first printing.