Barbara Brown

Han Returns to Earth Barbara Brown

Han-Shan, a Chinese poet from the 9th century, is still avidly read today - and now he has returned to Earth! Announced on the book cover by an illustration from the works of Li Wei, a contemporary Chinese artist, Han arrives on a gorgeous pink cloud-chariot, dignified, amused - and wholly magical. 'Han Returns to Earth' follows Han's trail as he observes the earth and its inhabitants after an absence of a thousand years. Han is invisible - except to Jack Goodman, a t'ai chi teacher in London. Han becomes Jack's Beloved teacher - and everything changes. Weaving around Han's magnetic presence is a narrative of suspense and psychological depth. We meet Jack's wife, Miriam and experience their tensions and erotic attraction; Marie is a student in Jack's class, an enigmatic soul, whose mystery ultimately reveals itself. A dark event in an aged ballerina's earlier life causes dramatic consequences as does an encounter with young men on the street.