First published 2420
As Beijing prepares to host the 2008 Olympics, century-old Dazhalan is being demolished to make way for high-rises and shopping malls. Longtime resident Michael Meyer sees his beloved neighborhood torn apart by forced evictions, destroying a way of life as old as the city itself. Through intimate portraits of Dazhalan's tight-knit community, Meyer reveals the human cost of Beijing's relentless modernization.
Genres: historical-fiction, china, 21st-century, cultural
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, social-commentary
Setting: Beijing, China
384 pages · Paperback · Bloomsbury USA