Winner of the Cundill History Prize
Shortlisted for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize
Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
Shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize in Nonfiction
Shortlisted for the British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding
One of the Wall Street Journal's Ten Best Books of 2023 • One of Time's 100 Must-Read Books of 2023 • A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2023
"Masterful and crystalline. It feels as if Joan Didion turned her powers of observation on China." â€"Evan Osnos, National Book Awardâ€"winning author of Age of Ambition
An indelible exploration of the invisible scar that runs through the heart of Chinese society and the souls of its citizens.