The first book I want to introduce to you is a personal story between a couple, Pingru and Meitang. The story is a narrated by Pingru, after his wife Meitang passed away, “following the couple through the decades, in both poverty and good fortune—looking for work, opening a restaurant, moving cities, mending shoes, raising their children, and being separated for seventeen years by the government when Pingru is sent to a labor camp.” There are no big words in his writing. There are no heroic moments in their life. Everything sounds so ordinary that you can easily walk into their life. Yet through these ordinary moments one finds extraordinary love— tender, profound and poetic. The beautiful illustrations in the book are drawn by Pingru, in a pure and almost childish style.
The other thing I love about this book is how their personal stories weave into the larger history of China. We witness how two common people navigate their little boat through the violent tides of the national movement, and how they try to hold their hands tightly against huge waves beyond their control: politics, illness, and time.
The book is available in Chinese（《平如美棠》), English(“Our Story”) , French(« Notre Histoire ») and Spanish (LA HISTORIA DE PINGRU Y MEITANG). You can find them on Amazon. Hope you enjoy! :) Image copyright: 广西师范大学出版社
