The Woman Back from Moscow, A Novel

Through the life of a remarkable womanbased on pioneering stage director SunWeishi(19211968)this epic novel immerses us in the multifaceted history of Chinas Communist Party. A powerful, insightful account from the National Book Awardwinning author, who came of age during the Cultural Revolution.As a promising young actress, SunWeishimade the critical decision to pursue her studies in Moscowwith the blessing of her influential adoptive father, Zhou Enlai, and Mao himself. The valuable insights she gained there during World War II, most notably the significance of characters' inner lives, would enable her to excel back in China, where she producedworks by Chekhov and Gogol, and other socially progressive dramas, such as an adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Her striking career asChina's first female director of modern spoken drama (Huaju) would be derailed with the advent of the...