By turns wry and lyrical, The Immortal Woman reveals an insider’s view of the fractured lives of Chinese immigrants and those they leave behind.
A Chinese mother and daughter wrestle with the demons of their past. Lemei, once a student Red Guard leader in 1960s Shanghai and a journalist at a state newspaper, was involved in a brutal act of violence during the Tiananmen Square protests and lost all hope for her country. Her daughter, Lin, is a student at an American university on a mission to become a true Westerner. She tirelessly erases her birth identity, abandons her Chinese suitor, and pursues a white love interest, all the while haunted by the scars of her upbringing.
Following China’s meteoric rise, Lemei is slowly dragged into a nationalistic perspective that stuns Lin. Their final confrontation results in tragic consequences, exposing the constant tension Chinese immigrants face—the push and pull between the pressure of assimilation and the allure of Chinese nationalism. How does unresolved political trauma lead to internalized racism and eroded identities? And how do immigrants find true belonging in a world that feels increasingly divided?
The Immortal Woman is a sweeping generational story of heartbreak, resilience, yearning, and ultimately, hope for a better future.
By turns wry and lyrical, The Immortal Woman reveals an insider’s view of the fractured lives of Chinese immigrants and those they leave behind.
A Chinese mother and daughter wrestle with the demons of their past. Lemei, once a student Red Guard leader in 1960s Shanghai and a journalist at a state newspaper, was involved in a brutal act of violence during the Tiananmen Square protests and lost all hope for her country. Her daughter, Lin, is a student at an American university on a mission to become a true Westerner. She tirelessly erases her birth identity, abandons her Chinese suitor, and pursues a white love interest, all the while haunted by the scars of her upbringing.
Following China’s meteoric rise, Lemei is slowly dragged into a nationalistic perspective that stuns Lin. Their final confrontation results in tragic consequences, exposing the constant tension Chinese immigrants face—the push and pull between the pressure of assimilation and the allure of Chinese nationalism. How does unresolved political trauma lead to internalized racism and eroded identities? And how do immigrants find true belonging in a world that feels increasingly divided?
The Immortal Woman is a sweeping generational story of heartbreak, resilience, yearning, and ultimately, hope for a better future.
| Published By | House of Anansi Press Inc — Mar 4, 2025 |
| Specifications | 384 pages | 5.25 in x 8 in |
| Keywords | Pen Name; Pseudonym; Chinese-Canadian; Debut Fiction; Feminist Reads; Feminism; Communism; Chinese Government; Shanghai; Cultural Revolution; Ali Wong; Steven Yeun; Historical Fiction; Cheshire International Novel Prize; Surveillance State; SheWritesPress Toward Equality in Publishing (STEP) Prize; |
| Written By |
SU CHANG is a Chinese-Canadian writer. Born and raised in Shanghai, she is the daughter of a former (reluctant) Red Guard leader. Her fiction has been recognized in Prairie Fire’s Short Fiction Contest, the Canadian Authors’ Association (Toronto) National Writing Contest, the ils/Fence Fiction Contest, and the Masters Review’s Novel Excerpt Contest, among others. |
| Written By |
|
SU CHANG is a Chinese-Canadian writer. Born and raised in Shanghai, she is the daughter of a former (reluctant) Red Guard leader. Her fiction has been recognized in Prairie Fire’s Short Fiction Contest, the Canadian Authors’ Association (Toronto) National Writing Contest, the ils/Fence Fiction Contest, and the Masters Review’s Novel Excerpt Contest, among others. |
“The Immortal Woman is a book that makes our hearts bigger. Read it.” —Kim Echlin, author of Speak, Silence
”“A gorgeous, intelligent debut.” —Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, author of Wait Softly Brother
”“A wonder to behold.” —Joseph Kertes, author of Last Impressions
”“Perceptive, mesmerizing, and open-hearted.” —Jessica Westhead, author of Avalanche and Worry
”“A fierce, unforgettable debut.” —Alissa York, author of Far Cry
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