When the Purple Mountain Burns: A Novel

This is an unprecedented first novel by a native son of Nanking, set during the first six days after the fall of the city to the Japanese imperial army in December of 1937. Shouhua Qi has crafted a diverse array of characters: Chinese, Japanese, and several Westerners, including historical figures such as John Rabe and Minnie Vautrin, who saved thousands of Chinese from death, and shows how their lives intertwine amid a ruined city on the brink of genocide. Like no other before, Shouhua Qi’s unique voice profoundly captures the essence of his hometown and the struggles faced by generations of Chinese as they exorcise the demons of popular memory.