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Diane Wei Liang
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Book
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Publisher | Picador | ||
ISBN | 0330447726 | ||
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Reviewer
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Vicky
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Synopsis
Mei is a modern, independent Chinese woman; she runs her own business in Beijing, working as a private investigator, owns a car, and even has that most modern of commodities, a male secretary. One day, 'Uncle' Chen - no relation but a close friend of her mother's - approaches Mei and asks her to find the Eye of Jade. A Han dynasty artefact of great value, the "Eye of Jade" was taken from a museum during the years of the Cultural Revolution, when Red Guards swarmed the streets. The case forces Mei to delve into a dark part of China's history - Mao's labour camps and the countless deaths for which no-one was ever held responsible - and exposes the agonising choices made during the Revolution.But Mei's investigations also reveal a story that has far more to do with the past, and her own family history, than she could ever have expected. Liang has captured Beijing's bustle and noise perfectly and, with its rich cast of characters, "The Eye of Jade" offers a fascinating glimpse of city life in modern China.
Review
The Chinese authority will tell you that there are no official detective agencies!
Diane Wei Liang author of The eye of jade knows better and had a very interesting time doing her research for this novel about female private investigator Mei.
As a young child lived in a labour camp with her parents in a remote region of China Diane uses her knowledge of her time there in this novel very well, giving us a wonderful insite into the effects of the Cultural Revolution on the 21st Century.
An uncle (no relation) of Mei's comes and asks her to find a precious Han Dynasty jade artifact stolen from it's museum during the Cultural Revolution - but this is not just a detective story about her quest to find it. It's also about her relationship with her mother and her sister Lu when their mother has a stroke and ends up in a state hospital.
If you thought we have problems with our NHS it's nothing in comparison to the hoops that Mei and Lu have to jump through to get their mother good treatment. They even have to go and talk with old comrades from the Cultural Revolution!
I loved this book and found Diane Wei Liang's style very easy to read with her portrayal of her characters lives with all the emotion and colour that surrounds them and I very definitely look forward to many more of Diane's novels and her detective Mei Wang. You can listen to Diane in Spoke Interview.
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