Waiting on Wednesday: UNDER FISHBONE CLOUDS by Sam Meekings

"WAITING ON WEDNESDAY"

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My pick for this week is . . .

UNDER FISHBONE CLOUDS

by Sam Meekings

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Publication Date: 12/7/2010

ISBN: 978-0-312-62279-4

ISBN10: 0-312-62279-1,

6 1/8 x 9 1/4 inches

416 pages

Description (from the publisher):

Under Fishbone Clouds is a universal love story, a family saga, and a journey through Chinese history, myth, and culture.  Following a young Chinese couple as their love grows, and is tested, during Mao's Cultural Revolution, this elegant debut novel provides a rare and personal glimpse into the birth modern China.

When the Kitchen God is challenged by the Jade Emperor to fathom the workings of the human heart, he chooses to follow the life of Jinyi and his wife Yuying, from their blossoming love until their old age, in hope of finding an answer. The Kitchen God watches as the new government strictures split their family in two, living inside their hearts as they they endure the loss of two children, homesickness, and isolation, all while keeping alive a love that survives famine, forced labor, and even death. Weaving together the story of their life with China’s recent political history, as well as traditional folktales and myths, the Kitchen God illuminates the most impenetrable aspects the human condition.

About the author (from the publisher):
SAM MEEKINGS received his undergraduate degree in Modern History and English Literature from Oxford University, and his masters degree in Creative Writing from Edinburgh University. Originally from southern England, he now lives in China with his wife and two children. Under Fishbone Clouds is his first novel.