My Sister's Red Shirt

‘Tie Ning’s command of psychological realism is practically Jamesian... She is an acute, sympathetic observer of Chinese society’ - Julia Lovell, The Guardian

First published in 1984 and written by China’s leading female author, this bestselling semi-autobiographical novella offers an examination of youthful rebellion in an age where anything seems possible, and the close-knit relationship between two sisters simultaneously separated by less than a decade in time and an epoch in history.

Growing up in a glittering new decade of possibility, Anran is radically different to her sister. Outspoken and idealistic, she relishes in challenging hypocrisy, unlike the older Anjing, whose memories of a turbulent past remind her of the perils of going against the grain.

When Anran is targeted by her teacher for her refusal to conform to authority, should Anjing shield her sibling from life's hard truths, or will she let her blaze her own path?

First published in China in 1984, Tie Ning’s coming-of-age novella depicts the challenges of being true to yourself in an era of unpredictable transformation.