Fan Wu's Book Talk (Beautiful as Yesterday) January 23, 2010

Beautiful as Yesterday : a novel -- book talk and signing by author Ms. Fan Wu

Stretching from mid-century China to both coasts of the United States at the turn of the millennium, Beautiful as Yesterday tells the powerful and captivating story of three Chinese women from the same family. Written in beautifully crafted prose, it is a penetrating exploration of what it means to belong, what it means to be a family, and the impact of history and memories on one’s life.

This is author Fan Wu's second novel. Her debut novel, February Flowers, has been translated into eight languages.

The program will be in English and Chinese.

"Fan Wu is an exciting storyteller with an original take on the disarray of family history and American culture, and, ultimately, how we manage to define ourselves. Beautiful as Yesterday is a story with intelligence, insight, and heart."
--Amy Tan, bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club

"A book for the new millennium. Told half way between here and there, Beautiful as Yesterday holds a mirror to America as much as it tells us about contemporary China...Fan Wu tells tales of modern Chinese women without mythologizing or romanticizing their lives. Her stories are foreign and familiar all at once, her writing beautiful and spirited..."
-- Sandra Cisneros, bestselling author of House on Mango Street

"A delicate and brilliant novel on the arguments, triumphs, loves and differences of a Chinese family in America."
-- Xinran, author of China Witness and Good Women of China

“This novel explores the consequences of trapping one family between two nations. Placidly paced, and eschewing claims to grandeur, the story traces familial and cultural values as they transfer between generations and geography.”
-- San Francisco Chronicle