About the Author

Ji-li Jiang was born in Shanghai, China, in 1954. She graduated from Shanghai Teachers' College and Shanghai University and was a science teacher before she came to the United States in 1984. After her graduation from the University of Hawaii, Ms. Jiang worked as an operations analyst for a hotel chain in Hawaii,then as budget director for a health-care company in Chicago. In 1992 she started her own company, East West Exchange, to promote cultural exchange between Western countries and China.

Reviews

★ “Absorbing. Jiang views devastating developments with the wide-eyed innocence of youth.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

★ “Heart-pounding. A page-turner. Excellent.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

★ “Engrossing. Transcends politics and becomes the story of one little girl trying to survive.” — Booklist (starred review)

“All the more powerful for the simplicity of its prose.” — New York Times Book Review

“I can only hope I would have shown the same decency and courage exhibited by Ji-li Jiang. Her actions remind me that, even under unbearable circumstances, one can still cling to love and justice. Above all, one can still hope for a happier tomorrow.” — David Henry Hwang, playwright of M. Butterfly