I Am China

“A harrowing glimpse into post-Tiananmen repression in China... A mix of dissident rhetoric and heartbreak that turns on one couple’s story.”  -  Kirkus Reviews

In a flat above a noisy north London market, translator Iona Kirkpatrick starts work on a Chinese letter. Two lovers, Mu and Jian, have been driven apart by forces beyond their control. As Iona unravels the story of the lovers, Jian and Mu seem to be travelling further and further away from each other. Iona, intoxicated by their romance, sets out to bring them back together, but time is running out.

"A complex and fascinating political narrative. The lives of Jian and Mu, haunted by the turbulent history of Chinese politics (in particular, the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989), read like a eulogy for a lost vision of China."  -  The Observer (London)

“[Guo’s] dark, witty fiction examines the interface between east and west... This novel has bold, refreshing things to say about art and politics.”  -  Financial Times

Xiaolu Guo was named as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists