Books like Do not say we have nothing by Madeleine Thien
In "Do Not Say We Have Nothing," Madeleine Thien intertwines the stories of two generations of a Chinese family. The novel begins with the cultural turbulence of Mao’s era, following the lives of musicians—a talented pianist, a shy composer, and a violin prodigy—and their personal crises. Their struggles and reimaginings ripple forward, shaping the experiences of their children who later protested at Tiananmen Square. Now in Vancouver, the protagonist Marie—older sister of Ai‑Ming—seeks to untangle this fractured past, piecing together her family’s history through memories, music, and the lingering effects of political campaigns.
First publish date: 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction/20th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: Madeleine Thien
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