China in 1971: Mao's Cultural Revolution is at its peak.
Two sons of doctors, sent to 're-education' camps, forced to carry buckets of excrement up and down mountain paths, have only their sense of humour to keep them going. They meet a beautiful, illiterate seamstress and introduce her to Western literature through a set of great Western novels of the 19th century found in a hidden suitcase. As she becomes enchanted by these stories, her worldview expands.
The novel explores themes of love, intellectual awakening and the impact of the Cultural Revolution on personal freedom.
This will a joint meeting with fellow book lovers in Brest. The book was recommended by the Brest group and was a bestseller in France when published there in 2000. Since then it has won multiple awards. It's semi-autobiographical: the author grew up in China and was 're-educated' before emigrating to France in 1987.
Please join us to discuss this story of the transformative power of literature. Free event – open to all. You can attend in person at the University of Plymouth or online via Zoom.
Please email Sue Kay (s.kay@blueyonder.co.uk) for Zoom details or if you have any queries.