“The title character’s wry, sad, and insightful inner voice is the star here. Her meditations on grief, death, love, and duty are full of poetry and longing. Perfect for literary-fiction fans, especially those who enjoyed other extraordinary novels about ordinary people.” —Library Journal, starred review
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman’s midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China, for fans of Yiyun Li and Julie Otsuka.
The Funeral Cryer long ago accepted the mundane realities of her life: avoided by fellow villagers because of the stigma attached to her job and underappreciated by her husband, whose fecklessness has pushed the couple close to the brink of breakup. But just when things couldn't be bleaker, she takes a leap of faith—and in so doing, things start to take a surprising turn for the better.
Dark, moving and wry, The Funeral Cryer is both an illuminating depiction of a “left behind” society—and proof that it's never too late to change your life.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman’s midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China, for fans of Yiyun Li and Julie Otsuka.
The Funeral Cryer long ago accepted the mundane realities of her life: avoided by fellow villagers because of the stigma attached to her job and underappreciated by her husband, whose fecklessness has pushed the couple close to the brink of breakup. But just when things couldn't be bleaker, she takes a leap of faith—and in so doing, things start to take a surprising turn for the better.
Dark, moving and wry, The Funeral Cryer is both an illuminating depiction of a “left behind” society—and proof that it's never too late to change your life.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"It is an exquisite, wholesome and insightful read about a China which many of us might never otherwise have a chance to visit. A jolly good book." - Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ
"Wonderful. A deft, humorous exploration of female desire and a forgotten society with a protagonist to love and root for." - Irenosen Okojie
"I adored The Funeral Cryer about a professional mourner. The prose is elegant and restrained, yet still manages to convey the protagonist's anger that simmers between the pages like a dormant volcano. Highly recommend this stunning debut." - Stacey Thomas
"Wonderful. A deft, humorous exploration of female desire and a forgotten society with a protagonist to love and root for." - Irenosen Okojie
"I adored The Funeral Cryer about a professional mourner. The prose is elegant and restrained, yet still manages to convey the protagonist's anger that simmers between the pages like a dormant volcano. Highly recommend this stunning debut." - Stacey Thomas
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Used availability for Wenyan Lu's The Funeral Cryer