A Chinese Life is getting some notice, at Comic Book Resources and from Brit comics guru Paul Gravett. On his August Previews page, Gravett also draws attention to Little White Duck: A Childhood in China, a graphic novel from Lerner. Lerner published my translation of A Game for Swallows, to which Gravett also gives the nod. Little White Duck, by Na Liu and her husband, artist Andrés Vera MartÃnez, coming from a female perspective, would make a great companion read to A Chinese Life. From the publisher:
The world is changing for two girls in China in the 1970s. Da Qin – Big Piano – and her younger sister, Xiao Qin – Little Piano- live in the city of Wuhan with their parents. For decades, China’s government had kept the country separated from the rest of the world. When their country’s leader, Chairman Mao, dies, new opportunities begin to emerge. Da Qin and Xiao Qin soon learn that their childhood will be much different than the upbringing their parents experienced. Eight short stories – based on the author’s own life – give readers a unique look at what it was like to grow up in China during this important time in history.