Under Fishbone Clouds

If this book doesn’t attain the high readership it deserves, there is no justice. It’s quite simply one of the most lavishly imagined, masterfully researched, exquisitely written contemporary novels I’ve read. And if that sounds as if I’m gushing…well, it’s probably because I am. Under Fishbone Cloud......more

It is almost unimaginable that Sam Meekings is a young, debut author. His innate, shimmering talent is steady and captivating throughout the novel, the characters are riveting, and the story itself is painfully soulful. With as much history as he conveyed in this story, you would think that at times......more

This novel of life and love plays out against the backdrop of recent Chinese history, from the Japanese occupation of the 1940s to the 21st century. The Jade Emperor- the head of the Chinese pantheon- has made a wager with the Kitchen God that the Kitchen God cannot fathom the workings of a single h......more

From the book jacket: (This) is a universal love story, a family saga, and a journey through Chinese history, myth, and culture. Following a young Chinese couple as their love grows, and is tested, during Mao’s Cultural Revolution, this debut novel provides a personal glimpse into the birth of moder......more

Such an ambitious subject for a debut novel - but how exquisitely Sam Meekings carries it off. The story of a young couple in an arranged marriage in the 1940s, which follows them through to the new Millennium. Added to which we have the legend, myth and good old-fashioned tall story telling from th......more