Dragonfly Eyes

Featured in The Bookseller's January Previews 2021, * The Bookseller *
Cao Wenxuan has a lush, lyrical style which is beautifully translated by Helen Wang (anyone who has read Bronze and Sunflower will know what I mean) and I was lulled by the sweetness of the beginning into thinking that it was really intended for younger readers. But with the 1960s, life gets darker and more complex for Ah-Mei: society disintegrates around the family, Nainai is attacked simply for being foreign, and the story ends with what might be a natural death or might be suicide. Enthralling. -- Nicky Harman * Asian Book Blog *
Best suited for confident readers of 11 upwards, this sublime story also comes highly recommended for adults who appreciate elegant writing and tales with a timeless, classic atmosphere. I adored every word. * LoveReading *
The story speaks with a strong, true voice that seems both fairytale and real world in the same breath. The writing brings all the texture, nuance and reality of the Chinese cultural revolution and displays how the world around this one family; people they have known for decades get caught up in the harsh, suspicious sentiments of this radical change. Incredibly moving, unsettling and comforting at the same time, this is a novel for us all. Quiet, lyrical and so very powerful. * Fallen Star Stories Blog *
Dragonfly Eyes is a charming new novel for young readers – with plenty to offer older ones as well – by Cao Wenxuan. […] Dragonfly Eyes, like that earlier work, benefits from Wang’s ability to capture in a fluid fashion the cadence and lyricism of Cao’s gentle prose style. * Times Literary Supplement *