It feels like it’s been forever, but we at THP have a new, jaw-dropping historical fiction read for you to consider. Radha Lin Chaddah’s debut novel, And the Ancestors Sing, takes place in 1980s China. With a multigenerational story at its core, this historical fiction debut offers a nuanced look into life after the end of the Cultural Revolution.
It highlights a period not too far from our present and one that’s definitely worth the read. Here are three of our favorite things about And the Ancestors Sing by Radha Lin Chaddah!
Book Overview: And The Ancestors Sing
Content warnings: death, violence, blood, rape, pregnancy, prostitution, ableism, bodies, needles, self-harm, smoking, vomiting, weapons
Summary: In 1978, as the Cultural Revolution fades into history, Lei is bartered away into marriage for two cartons of cigarettes and a handful of eggs. She finds herself in the unfamiliar village of her new husband where she is met with indifference. When a disaster upends their world, Lei and her husband are forced to join China’s vast wave of city-bound, rural migrants, leaving behind children whom they may never see again.
Sixteen-year-old LuLu arrives in Shanghai with nothing but ambition. Denied a factory job and determined to keep her family from starving, she turns to sex work, navigating the dangers of the city’s underbelly with sharp wit and a fierce will to survive. When a powerful client offers her a chance at security, LuLu faces an impossible choice: seize a future that could lift her family from poverty, or risk everything for a life on her own terms.
Diverse Narratives
The main stars of And the Ancestors Sing are a diverse cast of characters navigating their new lives. And we especially love how women drive the plot in this novel. Though Lei often defers to her husband and mother-in-law in the beginning, she works hard to provide a well-rounded life for her children. She builds inner strength and a strong foundation that no one can shake. LuLu similarly empowers herself, working in the city so she can provide for her family. She ultimately gets to a position where she doesn’t need to perform sex work to make ends meet.
Historical Setting
What first drew us to And the Ancestors Sing was the historical setting of China in the 1980s. Set less than fifty years ago and on the other side of the globe, this novel complete immerses us. When disaster strikes Lei and Bo’s rural village, they and many other families were forced to migrate to the city in search of work. The countryside rebuilt and the city continued its rapid growth. As the years went on, each of the characters crossed paths in some way, however brief. And many, though not all, found their way home. It’s a story that truly stays with you.
Mental Health Representation
Finally, another one of our favorite things about And the Ancestors Sing is the mental health representation. This book explores how communities often treat children with neurodivergence and mental disorders as deviant and “rotten fruit.” Parents would do everything to hide this fact from others. But that doesn’t stop gossip from spreading. The author developed the story arcs for Jiang and Long beautifully, allowing them to be characters beyond their conditions. Each person gets the push or the help they need, which then paves a fruitful life for them both.
Set in late 20th-century China, Radha Lin Chaddah’s And the Ancestors Sing highlights diverse and intersecting narratives that allowed us to lose ourselves reading. It’s a story that stays with you, even after you turn the last page.
And the Ancestors Sing by Radha Lin Chaddah comes out February 3rd, and you can order a copy of it here!
What are your thoughts on Radha Lin Chaddah’s debut novel, And the Ancestors Sing? Are you making it your next read? Let us know on Twitter! You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram!
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TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RADHA LIN CHADDAH:
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