In this bold novel, one of Taiwan's most celebrated authors reimagines
the lives of Sun Yat-sen, known as the "Father of the Chinese
Revolution," and his wife, Song Qingling. Born in 1866, Sun Yat-sen
dreamed of strengthening China from within, but after a failed attempt
at leading an insurrection in 1895, Sun was exiled to Japan. Only in
1916, after the dynasty fell and the new Chinese Republic was
established, did he return to his country and assume the role of
provisional president.
While in Japan, Sun met and married the beautiful Song Qingling.
Twenty-six years her husband's junior, Song came from a wealthy,
influential Chinese family (her sister married Chiang Kai-shek) and had
received a college education in Macon, Georgia. Their tumultuous and
politically charged relationship fuels this riveting novel. Weaving
together three distinct voices-Sun's, Song's, and a young woman rumored
to be the daughter of Song's illicit lover-Ping Lu's narrative
experiments with invented memories and historical fact to explore the
couple's many failings and desires. Touching on Sun Yat-sen's tormented
political life and Song Qingling's rumored affairs and isolation after
her husband's death, the novel follows the story all the way to 1981,
recounting political upheavals Sun himself could never have imagined.