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Your next favorite book
is waiting.
Jan-Philipp Sendker describes the haunting true story that inspired Whispering Shadows, his first novel set in China
The Chinese don't cry. Afraid of losing face, their expressions are impassive, impossible to read. They guard their emotions carefully, especially in front of foreigners. Or so I had thought before I met Wu Ming.
On first sight he was the perfect representative of the new, modern, sophisticated China, which is how the country likes to see and portray itself. A tall, good looking and worldly lawyer in his early fifties, he was energetic and well-dressed in an Armani suit. His English had a slight British accent, a reminder of his studies in the UK. Though soft spoken, he seemed very self assured.
We shared a passion for classical music and enjoyed each other's company. It was our sixth or seventh meeting. On this particular day, we were driving in his German built limousine through Shanghai, listening to Mozart.
Later we sat in his office on the Bund overlooking Pudong, one of the most prestigious addresses in the city, talking about his childhood in Sichuan Province, when suddenly tears began running down his cheeks. Within seconds Wu Ming was sobbing like a small child.
Earlier, we had discussed his family during the Cultural Revolution. His father, a local party leader, had fallen from grace – because of Wu Ming, his only son. As one of the most fervent Red Guards in their town, Wu Ming, had told his young comrades that his father had expressed doubts to his wife one evening about Mao's leadership. The next day the Red Guards went to his house and took his father. Showing no mercy, they paraded him through the streets and forced him to perform many public sessions of self-criticism. They kept him in a prison for more than a year and beat him almost to death. Wu Ming had been among the Guards who meted out his punishment. He had betrayed his beloved father, who never recovered from the experience.
We sat quietly in his office for a long time, even past the time the sun had set. I did not know what to say. After Wu Ming had dried his tears, he started talking about his remorse. His sense of shame was so strong, there were days in which he did not dare to look into a mirror. He talked of his self-hate, his distrust of himself and of every Chinese. It would never change he said, no matter how successful he might become.
That was the moment, perhaps, that I understood how complicated things are in China. That there is always a story behind the story. That the ultra-modern cityscapes with the sky scrapers are just the surface. One only has to scratch a bit and a very different China appears. A China where people are insecure, no matter how rich they are. A China that is weak inside, no matter how much and how quickly the economy grew over the last three decades. A country that is trapped because its people are not allowed to face the ghosts of their past.
It was the beginning of my fascination with China – and that conversation likely planted the seeds for my first China-based novel.
Unless otherwise stated, this interview was conducted at the time the book was first published, and is reproduced with permission of the publisher. This interview may not be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the copyright holder.
John Burdett is a nonpracticing lawyer who worked in Hong Kong for a British firm until he found his true vocation as a writer. Since then, he has lived in France and Spain, and Thailand and is now back in Hong Kong. His ... (more)
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Leslie T. Chang lived in China for a decade as a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, specializing in stories that explored how socioeconomic change is transforming institutions and individuals. She has also written for... (more)
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