The Colonel and the Eunuch

The Colonel and the Eunuch is a Chinese bestseller that explores the nature of heroism through the story of a middle-aged man and his relationship with a legendary army doctor during the war. It is available in English for the first time and has sold over 3 million copies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 09 May 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The phenomenal #1 Chinese bestseller, with over 3 million copies sold, is a searing exploration of what makes a hero. The boy grows up in a small village in south China listening to stories about the Colonel, a legendary army doctor during the war, a traitor to the Party, or a wicked sex machine. The stories are bawdy and mesmerizing, always larger than life. Yet in reality, the Colonel is just a middle-aged man who loves his cat. And why on earth does everyone call him the Eunuch? From these disparate sources, the boy tries to piece together who the Colonel really is, just as he himself grows up in a rapidly changing China. It is not until many years later, when the boy also becomes a middle-aged man, that he would look back and finally solve the puzzle. The Colonel and the Eunuch is Mai Jia's first new novel in eight years and his most ambitious work to date. An exciting departure from spy thrillers, this is a coming-of-age story, a family saga, as well as a searing exploration of what makes a hero. The Colonel is Mai Jia's singular creation: an almost mythic figure shrouded in the tragedy of war and history, whose story will move even the most stone-hearted to tears.

Weight: 598g
Dimension: 235 x 154 x 40 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781804540268