A sweeping generational story of heartbreak, resilience, and yearning, revealing an insider’s view of the fractured lives of Chinese immigrants and those they leave behind.
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 lover, 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, but ultimately, offers hope for a better future. By turns wry and lyrical, The Immortal Woman reminds us to hold tight to our humanity at any cost.
A sweeping generational story of heartbreak, resilience, and yearning, revealing an insider’s view of the fractured lives of Chinese immigrants and those they leave behind.
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 lover, 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, but ultimately, offers hope for a better future. By turns wry and lyrical, The Immortal Woman reminds us to hold tight to our humanity at any cost.
| 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; |
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Excerpt |
| 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. |
“Chang’s writing is powered by raw emotion … [The Immortal Woman is] a cathartic account of a family buffeted by the winds of modern Chinese history.” — Publisher’s Weekly
” —“This tender and heartbreaking excavation is a testament to the dangers of history, and the power of words to both wound and heal.” —Tessa Hulls, author/artist of Feeding Ghosts
”“The Immortal Woman is a book that makes our hearts bigger. Read it.” —Kim Echlin, author of The Disappeared and Speak, Silence
”“Daring and astute, The Immortal Woman goes beyond asking what people will do to survive. How will they live, with themselves and with each other, once the surviving is done?” —Thea Lim, author of An Ocean of Minutes
“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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