In nineteenth century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, or "old same," in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The two women exchange messages written on silk fans and handkerchieves using nu shu, a unique language that women created in order to communicate in secret, sharing their experiences, but when a misunderstanding arises, their friendship threatens to tear apart....

Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award • National Book Award Winner • Pulitzer Prize Finalist • A New York Times Notable Book

From the widely acclaimed author—a rich and atmospheric novel about a man living in two worlds, struggling with the conflicting claims of two utterly different women.
 
The demands of human longing contend with the weight of centuries of custom...

Explore the story of the world's oldest empire, from the ancient dynasties to the end of the Golden Age of China. Learn about the three main religions that shaped Chinese society: a society made up of four "layers". See why the Chinese called calligraphy, poetry and painting the "three perfections". Most of all, experience the Chinese spirit of exploration, a spirit that led to the building of the Great Wall and the Great Canal, and the development...

"The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China...When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But when she gets her vengeance, it becomes clear that she is an Iron Widow, a rare kind of female pilot who can sacrifice males to power up Chrysalises...

Woodland animals, each thinking of his neighbor, share a turnip left on their doorstep.

A five-year-old Chinese American girl sets out to learn about the place where she was born--China.