Madeleine Thien Photo: Babak Salari
In Ms. Thien’s novel, multiple generations are linked by an at-times taboo love for Western music
Even during the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, China maintained a symphony orchestra at the behest of Mao’s wife. It’s one of the surprising artifacts of history unearthed in Madeleine Thien’s latest novel, “Do Not Say We Have Nothing,” a rich, sprawling tale centered on tragedies that unfold at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music amid the brutal struggles of that era. Continue reading
November 25 marks the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This day was chosen to commemorate the brutal murders of three of the Mirabal sisters, revolutionary heroines of the Dominican Republic. On November 25, 1960, Patria, Minerva and María Teresa Mirabal and their driver were stopped on the road by members of the secret police force of the dictator Rafael Trujillo and clubbed to death. 
Last week, a court in the eastern province of Shandong handed a five-year jail term to online activist Sun Feng after holding him in pretrial detention for two years, rights activists said. 
Author Ha Jin’s latest novel, “The Boat Rocker,” follows an expatriate journalist who becomes embroiled in intrigue as he investigates a most unusual novel. 