An epic spanning more than half a century of Taiwans history thisbreathtaking historical novel traces the fortunes of the Pengs a family ofHakka Chinese settler... » 

An epic spanning more than half a century of Taiwans history thisbreathtaking historical novel traces the fortunes of the Pengs a family ofHakka Chinese settlers across three generations from the 1890s just beforeTaiwan was ceded to Japan as a result of the SinoJapanese war through WorldWar II. Li Qiao brilliantly recreates the dramatic world of these pioneers and the colonization of Taiwan itself exploring their relationships withthe aboriginal peoples of Taiwan and their struggle to establish their ownethnic and political identities.This carefully researched work of fiction draws upon Lis own experiences andfamily history as well as oral and written histories of the era. Originallypublished in Chinese as a trilogy this newly translated edition is anabridgement for Englishspeaking readers and marks the works first appearancein the Englishspeaking world. It was wellreceived in Taiwan as an honest and influential recreation of Taiwans history before the relocation ofthe Republic of China from the mainland to Taiwan.Because Lis saga is so deeply imbued with the unique culture and complexhistory of Taiwan an introduction explaining the cultural and historicalbackground of the novel is included to help orient the reader to this amazinglyrich cultural context. This informative introduction and the sweeping saga ofthe novel itself together provide an important view of Taiwans little knowncolonial experience. «