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    Yiyun Li

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    Author Writing

    Yiyun Li is a Chinese writer who lives in the United States. Her short stories and novels have won...

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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated A Thousand Years of Good Prayers in Books

Sep 21, 2017  
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
Yiyun Li | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Impressive collection of short stories about pre- and post-revolution China
This collection of short stories by Yiyun Li is both charming and a little disconcerting, showing how Chinese citizens attempt to live in a changed consumer communist society. From a gay man attempting to eke out a space for himself after returning from America to China, to those with mental health issues and parents with more than one child, Li showcases a plethora of characters and voices, many reflective of her own experiences.

The first story about an elderly woman trying to work and survive, and feeling love for a young boy after many years of loneliness is poignant and sombre. While the final story is similar to Li's experience of living in America - she is in reality a dissident and at one point couldn't leave the country to collect an award for this book, hence the book is remarkable in the fact that it feels completely plausible. Even more laudable is the fact that she had only learnt English for six years when she wrote the book. It is a wonderful collection of stories.