The Cry of the Silkworm

<p>1994, rural China: Twelve-year-old Chen Di loves and protects her long-awaited little brother, but when she witnesses an unforgettable scene with her aunties and the authorities, everything she thought she knew about her community is ripped away from her. <br><br>2002, Shanghai: A gutsy young aikido-practising Chen Di is utterly transformed from her naïve younger self. Now hardened by experience, her determination to avenge her mother''s killer is stronger than ever - and she has steeled herself against affection of any kind. Alone in the big city, and with the unwanted attentions of a cocky, wise-cracking teenage boy and a martial arts teacher intent on peace over violence, her toughness starts being chipped away - planting a seed of doubt about going through with her plan for revenge. <br><br>Spanning a decade at the turn of the twenty-first century, <i>The Cry of the Silkworm</i> is an emotional and thought-provoking tale of one young woman''s coming of age - and a stark look at the impact of China''s one-child policy, from a strikingly fresh new voice.</p>