Bian An

Nancy Nianci Bian An

Nancy Nianci is a fast-moving novel of war, complex love, fractured family, rebellion against tradition-and choices that cannot be undone.

China is under ferocious attack by Japan, and for Nianci Zhou, a college student in Peking who has demonstrated against Japan, danger increases by the day. When she falls for a young American, bitter race issues emerge.

Breaking from family, Nianci casts her lot with America. She chooses freedom, or so she thinks.

But then she finds herself trapped, completely cut off from her family by the cataclysmic rupture between China and America in 1949. What does it mean to be an American in this time?

"This deeply moving book is at the intersection of history and biography. The story of the daughter of a distinguished Beijing family is set against the horror of the Japanese invasion of China and the civil war that followed." - Diana Lary, Director, Centre of Chinese Research, University of British Columbia

"An extraordinary read! Dramatically changed my perspective on those years of war in China." - David deWilde, Founder, Chartwell Partners

"Fast-paced and engaging, this takes us back to Japan's invasion of China which led to Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. Granddaughter of China's renowned Liang Qichao, Nancy/Nianci gives a raw and fresh perspective on love, freedom, and sacrifice." - Nora Wu, formerly Vice-Chair, PwC International

"I'm delighted that it's now possible for the world to see this story. A narrative derived from the writings of someone who lived through the experience is the most valuable kind of history." - Fenrong Liu, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Tsinghua University