Harriet Evans – författare

‘Fabulous… I loved it’ Sophie Kinsella A charming, hilarious and touching story from the Sunday Times bestselling author. Some families warm your heart. Lizzy's makes her head spin.For most, home is a place of calm and safety. For Lizzy Walter, things are a bit more complicated. Keeper House – a cherished old place deep in the countryside – has always been the heart of the Walter's universe.But trouble is on the horizon. Her entire family are hiding something; then just when she was starting to get over him, the Love of Her Life makes an unexpected reappearance; and now Keeper House itself is in peril.By the time the Walters gather for a summer wedding, the stakes have never been higher – for Lizzy, for her family, and for love… Praise for Harriet Evans ‘If you’ve yet to add Harriet Evans to your must-read list, now is a great time to start’ Daily Record ‘Harriet Evans is a master at creating characters you feel like you know inside out, and wish you could meet in real life’ Heat ‘Harriet Evans is the reigning queen of the big house family drama’ i newspaper ‘She’s as good as the great Rosamunde Pilcher’ Saga

A gorgeous reissue of the warm and enchanting bestselling novel.Laura Foster is a hopeless romantic. It is her most endearing characteristic, yet consistently leads her into trouble. Friends and family look on with amused tolerance – until Laura's inability to tell reality from romantic dreams causes betrayal and a broken heart.Taking refuge in Norfolk, Laura is bitterly aware that her rose-tinted glasses have to go. She swears off men, and all things romantic, for good – until she meets Nick, the estate manager of a huge stately home. But Nick has a secret too. And it's one that Laura, however much she tries, can't get past her prejudice about.Just as she was stubbornly a die-hard romantic, so Laura is stubborn about there being no future for her and Nick. But will he manage to change her mind?

Like every woman, Kate thought she’d never meet the love of her life… Until she did. But are they destined to be together?Kate Miller has lived in New York for three long years. Now, with her father ill, it’s time to come home and face everything she left behind…Her friends: Zoe and Francesca, bound to her forever as a result of one day when life changed for them all.Her family: her adored father and his much younger wife.The job: she abandoned on a glossy women's magazine.And, the man she thought was the love of her life, whose heart she has broken.What really happened before Kate left London? And can she pick up the pieces and allow herself to love life again?A modern day love story jam-packed with humour, hurt, hope and happiness – so unputdownable you'll cancel your Friday night out to keep reading.

Rich, witty and moving, I Remember You is for anyone who likes to dream about a new life – and for anyone who still remembers their first love…For Tess Tennant, spring brings the promise of a fresh start. She’s moving back to her picture-perfect home town to take up a teaching job. Langford is a place of pretty stone cottages, friendly locals in oak-beamed pubs and of course Adam, her best friend since childhood. But Adam is preoccupied with a new girlfriend, and the past – which Tess thought she'd put behind her – is looming large again.So by the time she has to take her class on a trip to Rome, Tess is feeling reckless. She is swept off her feet by a mysterious stranger, and finds herself falling in love. But her magical Roman Holiday is about to turn into a nightmare…Back in Langford Adam is gone and everything has changed.Tess has to decide, once and for all, where she belongs and with whom.

From Sunday Times bestselling author Harriet Evans comes a compelling and heartbreaking tale of lost love, family secrets and those little moments that can change your life for ever. ‘(A) story of heartbreak and rivalry… An effortless and deeply satisfying romantic tale’ Glamour ‘An engrossing novel of jealousy, passion, forbidden love and heartache’ Woman and Home Natasha Kapoor's life is at a turning point. Reunited with her family in Cornwall for the funeral of her beloved grandmother, they sort through her possessions and prepare to sell Summercove, her idyllic Cornish coastal home, where Natasha finds the long-lost diary of her aunt Cecily, who died in a tragic accident at the age of fifteen.Returning to London, Natasha must get back to normality and to her soon-to-be ex-husband. But how can she forget the tragic tale of love, rivalry and heartbreak that emerged from the pages of Cecily’s diary? And will Cecily’s words inspire Natasha to take a second chance on love? Praise for Love Always: ‘Well written… you’ll love it’ Daily Mail ‘Romantic… Gripping…Marks Harriet Evans out as a writer of superior popular fiction’ The Lady ‘Escapism that brings with it the promise of "custard yellow" sands and hot summer sun.’ Independent ‘If you've yet to add Harriet Evans to your "must-read" list, now is a great time to start.’ Daily Record ‘Heartwarming and hugely enjoyable’ Closer ‘Wonderful.’ Marie Claire

'Funny, wistful and wise, I loved this book' Katie Fforde Absorbing storytelling at its very best from the Sunday Times bestselling author. The past catches up with you no matter how far you try to run…This is a story of a girl who doesn’t believe in happy endings. Or happy families. It’s the story of Eleanor Bee, a shy, book-loving girl who vows to turn herself into someone bright, shiny and confident, someone sophisticated. Someone who knows how life works.But life has a funny way of catching us unawares. Turns out that Elle doesn’t know everything about love. Or life. Or how to keep the ones we love safe…. Praise for Harriet Evans: ‘I love Harriet's combination of great writing talent and a wonderfully warm heart.’ ― Jilly Cooper ‘You'll want to devour it in one sitting' Telegraph 'Gorgeous' Stylist 'Spellbinding' Independent

Absorbing storytelling at its very best. An intriguing and compelling read from the Sunday Times bestselling author. ‘An elegant, fun page-turner’ Red‘You’ll race through the pages to find out what happens’ Heat If you don’t learn from history …You’re destined to repeat it. Sophie Sykes hasn’t been called by her real name in years. Since she hit the big time, she’s been LA movie star Sophie Leigh, forgetting all about her old life back in England. But in the process of leaving everything behind, she’s lost something of herself, too.Eve Noel didn’t choose her own name. Ever since her Hollywood star rose in the 1950s, she was told what to wear, when to smile, who to love. Until one day, she simply vanished: no-one knew where she went, or why…As Sophie’s picture-perfect world begins to crumble, it seems her life might be linked to Eve’s. As past and present collide, Sophie must unravel the mystery around Eve’s disappearance to save them both – but is she already too late.

‘Immersive, captivating, utterly transporting’ STACEY HALLS‘A gripping family saga, intertwining two families, two big loves, 60s New York and 50s London. If you like the Cazalets you’ll love this’ DAISY BUCHANAN'Readers of Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton will be riveted' BOOKLIST***Every family’s story starts somewhere . . . On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Alice Jansen collects her treasures – the keepsakes, figurines and mementoes that help her make sense of her fragile family. But the next day her heart is broken, and the final treasure, a gift from her father, is lost.Two years later, Alice answers a phone call from a stranger and runs away to New York, and tries to forget her last golden summer at the orchard on the banks of the Hudson.Tom Raven can’t understand why he keeps losing so many of the things and people that really matter to him, but he knows for certain that something important is missing from his life. One day, he remembers a forgotten letter and makes a phone call, then leaves Sevenstones, the only place that feels like home, for a strange city . . .An enchanting, unputdownable new novel about two people finding one another and the sweeping family story that follows, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wildflowers and The Beloved Girls.***‘Magnificent. It has that vast sweeping sense of a huge story and such a powerfully compelling world’ MARIAN KEYES‘Summer is the perfect time to curl up with a big family saga and they don’t come much bigger and more satisfying than The Treasures . . . a compelling and richly evocative tale’ IRISH TIMES'An absorbing, richly imagined tale of one family’s beginnings, and the fates and fortunes that ricochet down through generations. Evans’ characters are built to love and root for . . . I was gripped and transported by the lives of Alice and Tom’ EMMA STONEX‘Razor sharp . . . an enjoyable family saga with some modern twists . . . quite delicious’ THE TIMES‘Filled with intricate detail, this book will entrance and move you. Harriet Evans is a master storyteller’ KATIE FFORDE‘Harriet Evans is our go-to author for sweeping cross-generational stories’ FABULOUS‘A pure delight from start to finish. You’ll be longing for the next book’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING‘The very definition of escape’ VERONICA HENRY‘[Harriet] has such a skill to draw readers in, and any fans of multi-generational stories will love this one’ PRIMA‘An absolute treat’ RED‘Packed with beautiful characterisation and atmospheric settings’ WOMAN & HOME

Women in urban China have lived through decades of political turbulence, extensive socio-economic change, and the transformation of gender practices, expectations, and relationships. Among these is the mother-daughter relationship, one that has profound influence on women's gendered subjectivity but one that has been overlooked in research on gender and family in China. In The Subject of Gender, Harriet Evans reflects on how women in urban China make sense of the shifts in practices and representations of gender that frame their lives and how their self-identification as mothers and daughters contributes to the redefinition of those practices. Based on the memories and experiences of educated and professional women of different ages, this book discusses the mother-daughter relationship through various themes: separation, communication, domestic/public boundaries, male privilege, the sexed body, reproduction, and filial responsibilities. This fascinating work draws on feminist and critical theory and on anthropological and historical research to analyze the changing articulations of gender subjectivity that emerge from the links between discursive shifts, generational difference, and individual experiences of the mother-daughter relationship.

Women in urban China have lived through decades of political turbulence, extensive socio-economic change, and the transformation of gender practices, expectations, and relationships. Among these is the mother-daughter relationship, one that has profound influence on women's gendered subjectivity but one that has been overlooked in research on gender and family in China. In The Subject of Gender, Harriet Evans reflects on how women in urban China make sense of the shifts in practices and representations of gender that frame their lives and how their self-identification as mothers and daughters contributes to the redefinition of those practices. Based on the memories and experiences of educated and professional women of different ages, this book discusses the mother-daughter relationship through various themes: separation, communication, domestic/public boundaries, male privilege, the sexed body, reproduction, and filial responsibilities. This fascinating work draws on feminist and critical theory and on anthropological and historical research to analyze the changing articulations of gender subjectivity that emerge from the links between discursive shifts, generational difference, and individual experiences of the mother-daughter relationship.

Since the early 1980s sex and sexuality have become prominent themes of public debate in China, after three decades during which discourses on sexuality were subject to stringent ideological controls. This book analyses the ways in which sex and sexuality have been discussed in The People's Republic of China since 1949. It examines a wide range of materials - the official and popular press, women's magazines, sex education publications, self-help guides and medical advice pamphlets - and compares and contrasts the various discourses of sexuality and the meanings associated with 'woman' that emerge from them. It considers the role of the state in matters of sexuality, and argues that women's sexuality has been consistently targeted as a site for the regulation of general standards of sexual and social conduct.This is a highly original contribution to the growing body of literature on women and gender in China. It will appeal to students and scholars of modern and contemporary China, and to all those engaged in current debates about sexuality and gender in international feminist scholarship.

Based on recent primary research in anthropology, sociology, history and politics, and on insights from political activism, Gender in Flux addresses gender as a main axis of social organization and cultural practice in China. Covering the impoverished rural 'sending' villages of western China to the big and wealthy Yangzi valley city of Nanjing, the far northeastern village of Huangbaiyu to the major urban centres of Tianjin and Beijing, it examines gendered practices and experiences in socio-economic, political and administrative configurations, family and household organization, education, employment and mobility, and generation. The volume addresses gendered expectations and practices as lived experience within and across different scales, challenging the standard social science division of urban, rural and migrant. Gender in Flux thus sheds important light on how the changing manifestations and articulations of gender across different practices confound any attempt at a uniform analysis.

The unputdownable love story spanning continents, years and families, from the Sunday Times bestselling author – the perfect holiday read for fans of Eve Chase, Lucinda Riley, and Kate Morton.‘Immersive, captivating, utterly transporting’ STACEY HALLS‘Filled with intricate detail, this book will entrance and move you. Harriet Evans is a master storyteller’ KATIE FFORDE‘The very definition of escape’ VERONICA HENRY‘Magnificent. It has that vast sweeping sense of a huge story and such a powerfully compelling world’ MARIAN KEYES***One golden summer. One missing treasure. And a secret that binds two lives together. Every year, Alice's father gives her a treasure. Then on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, her final gift vanishes - along with the fragile certainty of her world. Alice runs, towards New York City and away from the memories of that last summer at the orchard where she grew up.Across the Atlantic, Tom has always felt that something is missing from his life. When he finds a long-forgotten letter, it leads him away from Sevenstones – the house at the heart of his family for generations – and towards a truth no one has ever fully told.From post-war London to 1960s New York, Alice and Tom's stories become entwined. But will the secrets of their past bring them together, or break them apart?***‘Razor sharp . . . an enjoyable family saga with some modern twists . . . quite delicious’ THE TIMES ‘A gripping family saga, intertwining two families and two big loves. If you like the Cazalets you’ll love this’ DAISY BUCHANAN‘Summer is the perfect time to curl up with a big family saga and they don’t come much bigger and more satisfying than The Treasures . . . a compelling and richly evocative tale’ IRISH TIMES'An absorbing, richly imagined tale of one family’s beginnings, and the fates and fortunes that ricochet down through generations. . . . I was gripped’ EMMA STONEX‘[Harriet] has such a skill to draw readers in, and any fans of multi-generational stories will love this one’ PRIMA‘A pure delight from start to finish. You’ll be longing for the next book’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'Readers of Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton will be riveted' BOOKLIST THE TREASURES is the first book in Sunday Times bestseller Harriet Evans' enchanting 'Sevenstones' trilogy.

Don't miss the STUNNING new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author, Harriet Evans - THE BELOVED GIRLS is available to buy now!'The day Martha Winter decided to tear apart her family began like any other day ...''A brilliantly written story that will stay with you long after the last page' Fabulous Magazine, Sun on SundayThe Sunday Times Top Five Bestseller A Place For Us by Harriet Evans is a book you'll dive into, featuring a family you'll fall in love with . . . and never want to leave. If you devour Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy and have discovered Jojo Moyes, you'll be thrilled to add Harriet Evans to your collection of favourite authors.The house has soft, purple wisteria twining around the door. You step inside.The hall is cool after the hot summer's day. The welcome is kind, and always warm.Yet something makes you suspect life here can't be as perfect as it seems.After all, the brightest smile can hide the darkest secret.But wouldn't you pay any price to have a glorious place like this?Welcome to Winterfold.Martha Winter's family is finally coming home.READERS LOVE HARRIET EVANS.Praise for Harriet Evans and A Place For Us: 'A fabulously gripping story' Prima'Atmospheric and descriptive, Evans creates a tangible world full of tragedy and hardship, love and redemption, with a satisfying conclusion. Hugely enjoyable' Psychologies'I was blissfully carried away by this intelligent (she's as good as the great Rosamunde Pilcher), classy and superbly executed family saga' Saga'A really superior modern saga, with utterly true to life characters' Sunday Mirror'Harriet Evans has superbly captured the complexities and emotions of her characters' My Reading Corner'Explosive, emotional and completely addictive' Bookaholic Confessions'Had me hooked until the last page ... this is an accomplished piece of writing' Shaz's Book Blog'A cleverly written, engrossing story, full of secrets and lies' Laura's Little Book Blog'Extremely gripping and mysterious throughout' CosmoChicklitan'The novel has a wonderful cast of characters' Candy's Bookcase'Completely mind blowing, insanely gripping' This Chick Reads'Brilliant. I had tears in my eyes' On My Bookshelf'I simply can't wait to read more' Emma Louise'A compelling, engaging, beautifully written and truly fascinating novel' Bookaholic Confessions'So poignant that you are completely absorbed by the book and the Winter family, captivated by their story' Chloe's Chick Lit ReviewsOnce you have fallen in love with the Winters of A Place For Us, discover the bewitching rituals of the Hunter family in Harriet Evans's breathtaking novel The Beloved Girls . . .

'Heart-stopping and wonderful . . . an epic, sweeping, romantic story told brilliantly' Sophie KinsellaIt begins and ends with Keepsake, the house that holds its shadows too tightly.Nina Parr's mother has lied to her for most of her life. But when Nina inherits Keepsake, a long-forgotten house in Cornwall, she pieces together a sad truth that reaches back to the outbreak of war in the 1930s. A must-read for fans of Kate Morton and Santa Montefiore.What magic is this?You follow the hidden creek towards a long-forgotten house.They call it Keepsake, a place full of wonder . . . and danger. Locked inside the crumbling elegance of its walls lies the story of the Butterfly Summer, a story you've been waiting all your life to hear. This house is Nina Parr's birthright. It holds the truth about her family - and a chance to put everything right at last.Two things happen when you are a Parr girl: when you are ten, you are told about your future role. The second thing that a Parr girl at some point must learn is harder to tell of.It is a dark work indeed, the business of this house, hidden from the world.Praise for The Butterfly Summer:'Loved it' Gill Hornby'A delightfully engrossing read' Red 'Moving, gripping, heartbreaking' Kate Williams'Great characters, gorge house, intriguing mystery, what's not to love?!' Lucy Diamond'Multi-layered, heartbreaking and as beautiful as a butterfly wing' Veronica Henry'A crumbling house in Cornwall and a family with lots of secrets are brought to life by the evocative writing in The Butterfly Summer' Good Housekeeping'Gorgeous' Stylist'Harriet Evans' writing is just perfect' Linda's Book Bag

'I adored The Wildflowers. A sweeping, epic, moving read' MARIAN KEYESRICHARD AND JUDY SUMMER BOOK CLUB PICK 2018Turn the page and find yourself in a Dorset beach house, the sun in your eyes and the sand between your toes. This is the home of Tony and Althea Wilde - the Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor of their generation and with a marriage every bit as stormy. A gorgeous, epic tale of tangled family secrets and lies . . .'A wonderful, engrossing novel, full of the most vivid characters and a truly memorable setting. A triumph' SOPHIE KINSELLA'She reels you in and then you're hooked, right to the last page' PATRICIA SCANLAN'Atmospheric and altogether wonderful' LESLEY PEARCE'I love it on so many levels, the immense feeling of place, the slow, irresistible sense of being drawn deep into the family and its story, and the strange hovering of menace somewhere in the idyll. Wonderful' PENNY VINCENZI'Her characters are finely drawn and as the story hops back and forth from the Second World War to the present day, the reader becomes deeply immersed in this charismatic family's fortunes. The result is that rare and lovely thing, an all-engaging and all-consuming drama' DAILY MAIL_________________Tony and Althea Wilde. Glamorous, argumentative . . . adulterous to the core.They were my parents, actors known by everyone. They gave our lives love and colour in a house by the sea - the house that sheltered my orphaned father when he was a boy.But the summer Mads arrived changed everything. She too had been abandoned and my father understood why. We Wildflowers took her in.My father was my hero, he gave us a golden childhood, but the past was always going to catch up with him ... it comes for us all, sooner or later. This is my story. I am Cordelia Wilde. A singer without a voice. A daughter without a father. Let me take you inside. _________________Don't miss the STUNNING new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author, Harriet Evans - THE BELOVED GIRLS is available to buy now!

Don't miss the STUNNING new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author, Harriet Evans - THE BELOVED GIRLS is available to buy now!'Spellbinding' Independent'My top book of 2019' DINAH JEFFRIES'Her best yet' i newspaper'Gripping' Irish Times'Gorgeous' VERONICA HENRY'A poignant story of love and loss' Daily Mail MUST READS 'I can't remember the last time I was so enthralled' Red'Epic, absorbing . . . full of intrigue and emotion' Fabulous'A sweeping novel you won't put down' Katie Fforde Who would choose to destroy what they love the most? Nightingale House, 1919.Liddy Horner discovers her husband, the world-famous artist Sir Edward Horner, burning his best-known painting The Garden of Lost and Found days before his sudden death.Nightingale House was the Horner family's beloved home - a gem of design created to inspire happiness - and it was here Ned painted The Garden of Lost and Found, capturing his children on a perfect day, playing in the rambling Eden he and Liddy made for them.One magical moment. Before it all came tumbling down...When Ned and Liddy's great-granddaughter Juliet is sent the key to Nightingale House, she opens the door onto a forgotten world. The house holds its mysteries close but she is in search of answers. Something shattered this corner of paradise. But what?Lose yourself in this unputdownable tale of the enduring power of family love, told by three generations of extraordinary women. . . Readers love The Garden of Lost and Found'This sweeping tale is by turns painfully sad and heart-lifting, with characters that stay with you' Good Housekeeping 'Evans' storytelling feels both authentic and satisfying. An immersive mystery' Woman & Home'Evans tells a poignant tale of the Horner family and their magical, mysterious country home' Woman'Engrossing and clever and funny and beautifully observed . . . I recommend it wholeheartedly' Clothes in Books blogDiscover THE BELOVED GIRLS: your next unputdownable novel of family secrets, betrayal and one golden summer . . . Out now!

'A gorgeous epic . . . Wholly absorbing. I adored it' MARIAN KEYESTwo young girls. One hot, long, sultry summer. And a rambling old English manor house where nothing is as it seems . . .'This sweeping, absorbing story is a treat' ADELE PARKS'A compelling story of female friendship, dark secrets and family bonds that pulls you in and won't let go' ROSANNA LEY'If you love atmospheric stories about old houses, families and secrets, this is for you' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'A gorgeous story to get immersed in' Prima__________A successful London barrister, Catherine Christophe, goes missing the day before her wedding anniversary. The clue to her disappearance, it seems, lies buried thirty years in the past.Somerset, 1989. Janey Lestrange arrives to stay for the summer at the grand old house of the Hunter family. But something is wrong behind the beautiful façades of Vanes. Janey's childhood friend, Kitty Hunter, her brother and their eccentric parents - once so welcoming - do not seem to want her there. It is only as the night of an ancient and mysterious family ritual looms closer that Janey comes to realise they need her . . .Decades later, the tragic events of that unforgettable summer still cast the darkest shadow. Can the truth about what happened that night ever be brought into the light? __________'Bewitching, beguiling and utterly beautiful, The Beloved Girls will pull you into their mysterious and enchanted world and never let you go. With a cast of compelling characters and a labyrinthine plot, it's a page-turner of the most luxurious kind - a real escape.' VERONICA HENRYCompelling, immersive and luxurious, THE BELOVED GIRLS is the outstanding new novel from the Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author of The Garden of Lost and Found and The Wildflowers

'Immersive, engrossing and ultimately beautiful' Marian KeyesThe heart-stopping and magical story of a childhood, a house, and the deepest of loves...'A beautifully written family saga which already feels like a classic' Red magazineThen: Fane HallSarah has spent a lifetime trying to bury memories of her childhood: the constant fear, the horror of her school days, and Fane, the vast, crumbling house that was the sole obsession of her mother, Iris, a woman as beautiful as she was cruel.1969: HampsteadRescuing herself from the shadow of Fane, talented Sarah forges a career as a cellist and marries the love of her life, Daniel. But when they move into a near-derelict house in Hampstead and try to get on with becoming a family, Sarah finds the past will not let her go. Can she break free of the hold of Fane and her mother, and keep the promise she made as a child one magical starry night:?'My book of the year' Dinah Jeffries'Only Harriet Evans writes books like this' Jane Casey' A gorgeously sweeping novel, so beautifully written, with characters - and an old stately home - that linger long after you turn the last page. I loved it ' Eve Chase 'An intricate, darkly romantic novel' Mail on SundayReaders love The Stargazers:'Wow, what a breathtaking book.This one will stay with me' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'The Stargazers might just be her best yet . . . a beautifully written, atmospheric page-turner full of unforgettable characters, a book that will stay with you. ' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Harriet Evans is the queen of books about hold house and family secrets, with a dash of coming-of-age. The Stargazers might be her best yet' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I absolutely loved this book . . . it was both beautiful and melancholy. Harriet never disappoints' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'This is a beautiful and absorbing tale - one that I couldn't put down until the last page' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A stunningly good read from an author who never disappoints . . . A riveting story from beginning to end, thoroughly entertaining and compelling' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'It captivated me right from the start . . . an emotional read with some great twists' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A perfect, magical and immersive read' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A stunningly good read. At its heart, there is redemption and love - with some unexpected twists' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Loved the story and chemistry it had between characters. Loved learning about the stars. Plenty of twists on this and turns as well. Plenty of hidden truths' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'One of my favourite books of the year' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The dark, dramatic and compelling new novel from the Sunday Times Top Five bestselling author and two-time Richard & Judy Book Club pick

Between the early 1950s and the accelerated demolition and construction of Beijing's “old city” in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, the residents of Dashalar-one of the capital city's poorest neighborhoods and only a stone's throw from Tian’anmen Square-lived in dilapidated conditions without sanitation. Few had stable employment. Today, most of Dashalar's original inhabitants have been relocated, displaced by gentrification. In Beijing from Below Harriet Evans captures the last gasps of subaltern life in Dashalar. Drawing on oral histories that reveal memories and experiences of several neighborhood families, she reflects on the relationships between individual, family, neighborhood, and the state; poverty and precarity; gender politics and ethical living; and resistance to and accommodation of party-state authority. Evans contends that residents' assertion of belonging to their neighborhood signifies not a nostalgic clinging to the past, but a rejection of their marginalization and a desire for recognition. Foregrounding the experiences of the last of Dashalar's older denizens as key to understanding Beijing's recent history, Evans complicates official narratives of China's economic success while raising crucial questions about the place of the subaltern in history.

Between the early 1950s and the accelerated demolition and construction of Beijing's “old city” in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, the residents of Dashalar-one of the capital city's poorest neighborhoods and only a stone's throw from Tian’anmen Square-lived in dilapidated conditions without sanitation. Few had stable employment. Today, most of Dashalar's original inhabitants have been relocated, displaced by gentrification. In Beijing from Below Harriet Evans captures the last gasps of subaltern life in Dashalar. Drawing on oral histories that reveal memories and experiences of several neighborhood families, she reflects on the relationships between individual, family, neighborhood, and the state; poverty and precarity; gender politics and ethical living; and resistance to and accommodation of party-state authority. Evans contends that residents' assertion of belonging to their neighborhood signifies not a nostalgic clinging to the past, but a rejection of their marginalization and a desire for recognition. Foregrounding the experiences of the last of Dashalar's older denizens as key to understanding Beijing's recent history, Evans complicates official narratives of China's economic success while raising crucial questions about the place of the subaltern in history.