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The Sisters Mao (Lead)
Gavin McCrea
FREE Delivery in Ireland
Description for The Sisters Mao (Lead)
paperback.
A Sunday Independent Book of the Year
Against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution and Europe’s sexual revolution, the fates of two families in London and Beijing become unexpectedly intertwined, in this dazzling new novel from the author of Mrs Engels.
Revolution is a Family Affair.
In London, sisters Iris and Eva, members of a radical performance collective, plan an attack on the West End theatre where their mother is playing the title role in Miss Julie. Meanwhile in Beijing, Jiang Qing, Chairman Mao’s wife, rehearses a gala performance of her model ballet, The Red Detachment of Women, which she ... Read morewill use to attack her enemies in the Party.
As the preparations for these two astonishing performances unfold, Iris, Eva, and Jiang Qing are transformed into unforgettable protagonists in a single epic drama. The three ‘sisters’, although fighting very different personal battles, find themselves bound together by the passions of love, by the obsessions of power, and by the forces of history.
Exquisitely observed, relevant, and wise, The Sisters Mao shows us that the political is always personal.
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Product Details
Publisher
Scribe Publications
Place of Publication
London, United Kingdom
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 2 to 4 working days
About Gavin McCrea
Gavin McCrea is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, Mrs Engels (2015) and The Sisters Mao (2021), both published by Scribe. His articles have appeared in The Paris Review, The Guardian, The Irish Times, Catapult, and LitHub.
Reviews for The Sisters Mao (Lead)
‘The tremors of Gavin McCrea’s prose thrillingly record what happens as a world spins off its axis, shattering public and private lives. This electrifying fiction confirms McCrea’s status among the leading novelists of his brilliant generation.’
Frank McGuinness, author of Someone Who'll Watch Over Me ‘McCrea’s portrait of Jiang Qing is a masterpiece of characterisation: at once monstrous and ... Read morepitiable. The Sisters Mao is dazzlingly clever and original.’
Antonia Senior
The Times
‘The work of a master storyteller.’
Joseph O’Connor ‘A capacious work of social realism … dazzlingly ambitious yet modestly human.’
Lara Feigel
The Guardian
‘A study of political madness … modifying the old cliche that the personal is political, the message here is a reminder that the political is always personal.’
Phil Baker
The Sunday Times
‘It is impeccably researched and he interweaves the personal and the political to great effect.’
Lucy Popescu
Financial Times
‘McCrea’s observations are a joy … this is a novel worth taking time over, for readers anywhere on the political spectrum.’
Christopher Harding
The Telegraph
‘Manages to combine vast research with lightness of touch and superb insights.’
Caitriona Lally
Sunday Independent
‘Written with McCrea’s trademark confidence and virtuosity, this is a sumptuous, winning book. Its characters are not so much drawn from life (Imelda Marcos makes an entrance) as strange revenants from a turbulent dream. Its high intelligence throws light everywhere, and suggestive shade.’
Sebastian Barry, author of A Thousand Moons ‘The Sisters Mao is a spectacular novel, utterly enthralling and insightful; every voice is penetrating, dazzling. In spite of the setting, it is full of relevance for these times; it manages to be both historically authentic and thrillingly contemporary. Gavin is a writer of extraordinary talent, and I cannot think of a kind of reader who I would not recommend this novel to.’
Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter Wither ‘Gavin McCrea is a wonderful writer: bold, innovative, and fiercely intelligent, and these qualities shine from this magnificent novel. I was enthralled from the first sentence to the last.’
Donal Ryan, author of Strange Flowers ‘A sweeping political saga spanning East and West. McCrea’s confident and lucid prose gives us both the personal and the political. Mesmerising.’
Xiaolu Guo, author of A Lover’s Discourse ‘The writing has an engrossing flow of energy, a vigour and a flair which have the audacity of invention … Given its immensity and arguments the novel could invite comparison with some of the great Russian writers.’
Mary Leland
Irish Examiner
‘Dynamic.’
Sebastian Barry
The Irish Times
‘McCrea has conducted exceptionally deep research to conjure up nuanced, authentic portrayals of the worlds of the book — but the text carries his knowledge lightly, supporting rather than dominating the story. The Sisters Mao is the best sort of historical fiction; one that illuminates the contemporary moment with great insight. Profoundly brilliant, it will no doubt be a huge contender on the literary awards circuit, but also one that is pushed feverishly from reader to reader with excitement.’
Helen Cullen
The Irish Times
‘Ideas flow ceaselessly and impact in unexpected ways in Gavin McCrea’s compendious novel.’
Neil Hegarty
The Irish Times
‘A new novel that's so powerful I think it's going straight onto my shelf of favourite books. It's a moving, thrilling, and thoughtful story that will captivate you.’
Eric Karl Anderson
Lonesome Reader
‘Brilliantly chronicles the corrosive collision between the personal and the political.’
Jane Shilling
Daily Mail
‘Major recommendation ... The incredible Gavin McCrea, beloved author of Mrs Engels, publishes his second novel, The Sisters Mao ... It’s profoundly brilliant!’
Helen Cullen, author of The Dazzling Truth ‘Ambitious ... McCrea writes insightfully about mother-daughter dynamics, the power of theatre, and women’s roles in revolutionary movements.’
Publishers Weekly
‘A stirring, perceptive exploration of radical politics … a sweeping portrait of three women shaped by fanaticism, dysfunctional families, intra-group sexism and politics-as-performance … This excellent novel, populated by maddening, memorable characters, offers a timeless reminder of extremism's perils.’
Kevin Canfield
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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