Binu

Author: Su Tong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: In ancient Chinese legends, Lady Meng Jiang is a remarkable woman who remains loyal to her love and walks thousands of miles to deliver cold clothes to her husband. At that time, the emperor, to prevent foreign invasions, captured all the young and strong men to build the Great Wall. Lady Meng Jiang, realizing the extreme cold in the north, resolved to send winter clothes to her husband for warmth. Upon learning that her husband had been buried beneath the Great Wall and that she had not been able to see him one last time, she burst into tears so intensely that the heavens and earth changed color, and the Great Wall collapsed. In Biniu, Su Tong takes us back to a distant ancient time, using his rich imagination to recreate dazzling and heart-stirring scenes—practicing nine different ways of crying for survival, holding a funeral for herself before delivering cold clothes, dressing as a witch to scare away mischievous children, being paraded as an assassin in the streets, and all the frogs joining in to go to the Great Wall. In the novel, Biniu's resilience and loyalty drive back the worldly conspiracies and the ugliness of human nature. This lowly woman, oppressed by power, creates a mythic legend in the turbulent times through her devotion and kindness.