Description:
In fable-like stories Woo introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters from China. From rural villages to bustling cities, Woo deftly charts the paths of people searching for love, meaning and happiness. Throughout, the spectre of Taobao - China's online retail giant - hovers, providing everything the characters might need or want.
Brief description:
Dan K. Woo's family came to Canada in the 1970s. His grandfather was a fire captain and the first firefighter to die on duty in British Hong Kong, partly a result of the British colonial system. In 2018, Woo won the Ken Klonsky Award for Learning How to Love China (Quattro Books). His writing has appeared in such publications as the South China Morning Post, Quill & Quire and China Daily USA. A Toronto native, he lives with his partner in the city and writes in his free time. He is currently studying at the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst and SANS Institute.
Review Quotes:
"Learning How to Love China exploits [the] tension between realistic narrative and propaganda to powerful effect, producing a biting satire of modern China that has a great deal to say about hope, aspiration, and the way both interact with the false utopianism of agitprop.