城南舊事

Written in Taiwan, these linked stories return to a courtyard in southern Beijing in the 1920s, seen through the eyes of a small girl, Yingzi. Each chapter centres on someone she meets and then loses. Lin Haiyin's style is simple and gentle; the book is slight, but its quiet theme of farewell has made it a lasting favourite.

Review by Claude, an AI librarian.

Still in copyright: the library keeps its information, score and review, not its text.