{"product_id":"someone-to-talk-to-9780822370833","title":"Someone to Talk to","description":"Tofu peddler Yang Baishun is a man of few words and few friends. Unable to find meaningful companionship, he settles for a marriage of convenience. When his wife leaves him for another man he is left to care for his five-year-old stepdaughter Qiaoling, who is subsequently kidnapped, never to be seen by Yang again. Seventy years later we find Niu Aiguo, who, like Yang, struggles to connect with other people. As Niu begins learning about his recently deceased mother's murky past it becomes clear that Qiaoling is the mysterious bond that links Yang and Niu. Originally published in China in 2009 and appearing in English for the first time, Liu Zhenyun's award-winning \u003ci\u003eSomeone to Talk To\u003c\/i\u003e highlights the contours of everyday life in pre- and post-Mao China, where regular people struggle to make a living and establish homes and families. Meditating on connection and loneliness, community and family, \u003ci\u003eSomeone to Talk To\u003c\/i\u003e traces the unexpected and far-reaching ramifications of seemingly inconsequential actions, while reminding us all of the importance of communication.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLiu Zhenyun is the author of over a dozen novels, including \u003ci\u003eI Did Not Kill My Husband\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Cook, the Crook, and the Real Estate Tycoon\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Howard Goldblatt is a translator of dozens of works of Chinese literature, including those of Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Sylvia Li-Chun Lin is an award-winning translator of Chinese literature.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Duke University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50413533757714,"sku":"9780822370833","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4a33289a-608f-4cb9-bf71-66516368e421.jpg?v=1729354991","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/someone-to-talk-to-9780822370833","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}