Porcelain Thief - Hardcover

Hsu, Huan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007479433 ISBN 13: 9780007479436

Publisher: Fourth Estate, 2015

Synopsis

The longer I looked at that red chrysanthemum plate, the more I wanted to touch it, feel its weight, and run my fingers over its edge, which, like its country's - and my family's - history, was anything but smooth. 1938. The Japanese army is fast approaching Xingang, the Yangtze River hometown of Huan Hsu's great-great-grandfather, Liu. Along with four of his granddaughters, Liu prepares to flee. Before they leave, they dig a hole and fill it to the brim with family heirlooms. Among their antique furniture, jade and scrolls was Liu's vast collection of prized antique porcelain. A decades-long flight across war-torn China splintered the family over thousands of miles. Grandfather Liu's treasure remained buried along with a time that no one wished to speak of. And for many years no one returned to find it- until now. Huan Hsu, a journalist raised in America and armed only with curiosity, went to China to learn more about not only his lost ancestral heirlooms but also porcelain itself. Hsu set out to separate the layers of fact and fiction that have obscured both China and his heritage and to finally complete his family's long march back home. Melding memoir and travelogue with social and political history, The Porcelain Thief is an intimate and unforgettable way to understand the bloody, tragic and largely forgotten events that defined Chinese history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

About this title

About the Author:

Huan Hsu currently lives in Amsterdam, where he works as a freelance writer and editor for academic and cultural institutions. His essays and fiction have also appeared in Slate, the Literary Review, and Center: A Journal of the Literary Arts.

Review:

`A cinematic account of what might have happened in Xingang almost 80 years ago' Financial Times`Hsu's account is filled with humour ... an engrossing way into contemporary China' Alexander Monroe, Literary Review`Fascinating' Monocle`Huan Hsu takes us on an intriguing journey into his family's and China's tumultuous past. The Porcelain Thief provides a great, intimate view into how modern China really works.' Frank Langfitt, NPR Correspondent, Shanghai`Part memoir, part journey, and part archaeological expedition, The Porcelain Thief is as suspenseful as any Indiana Jones adventure.' Michael Meyer, author of The Last Days of Old Beijing and In Manchuria`Huan Hsu blends a fascinating search for his own family's roots with an illuminating portrait of modern China. The Porcelain Thief is a wonderful read.' Rob Gifford, author of China Road`[Hsu's] persistence in the face of numerous obstacles is beyond admirable... He offers plenty of intriguing information about Chinese history and culture, from wild Shanghai traffic to family dynamics. Some first-rate detective work.' Kirkus Reviews

About this edition

• Publisher: Fourth Estate
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0007479433
• ISBN 13: 9780007479436
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 400