From the old country: stories and sketches of China and Taiwan

Though he lived mostly in rural South Taiwan, Zhong Lihe (1915--1960) spent several years in Manchuria and Peking, moving among an eclectic mix of ethnicities, classes, and cultures.

His ficitonal portraits unfold on Japanese battlefields and in Peking slums, as well as in the remote, impoverished hill-country villages and farms of Zhong Lihe's native Hakka districts.

His scenic descriptions are deft and atmospheric, and his psychological explorations are acute.

The first anthology to present his work in English, this volume features two novellas, ten short stories, and four short prose works.