Достойные женщины из Фуди

Jili-bieli dve podrugi, Chernaia zmeia i Belaia zmeia, i odnajdie Belaia zmeia polubila cheloveka. Chelovek okazalsia slab i predal ee, a Chernaia zmeia ee spasla. Tak glasit legenda, a v realnosti dve podrugi, Cziali i U Fan, eshe v detstve poklialis, chto sami vieberut svoi put. Cziali — izvestnaia poetessa i celitelnica, U Fan — budushaia jenshina-hirurg, pervaia v Kitae. Obeim povezlo — ih vospitievali poistine svobodniemi ludmi, i oni jivut vopreki pravilam, kotoriee kitaiskoe obshestvo nachala HH veka naviazievaet jenshinam. Odnako Cziali viehodit zamuj, i vse ih planie i mechtie okazievautsia pod ugrozoi. Tolko chto ovdovevshii Charlz pribievaet iz Anglii v Kitai, gde nadeetsia nachat novuu jizn. Viesokomerie sootechestvennikov emu pretit, i on zavodit drujbu s kitaiskim kollegoi Ianbu, ego molodoi jenoi Cziali i ee podrugoi U Fan. Vmeste eti chetvero rabotaut i uchatsia drug u druga — kulturie i tradicii peremeshivautsia, drobiatsia, vidoizmeniautsia. No nastupaet den, kogda Charlzu prihoditsia sdelat viebor mejdu rodinoi i druziami. . . Lu Hun, glubokii znatok kitaiskoi istorii, napisala roman o nastoiashei drujbe, samopojertvovanii, tihom bunte i preodolenii granic. Zdes kitaiskie legendie peremeshivautsia s «Povestu o dvuh gorodah», a Chernaia zmeia snova i snova spasaet Beluu zmeu, hotia kakoi cenoi — vopros otkrietiei. Vperviee na russkom!

Once upon a time there were two friends, a Black Snake and a White Snake, and one day the White Snake fell in love with a man. The man turned out to be weak and betrayed her, but the Black Snake saved her. So the legend says, but in reality, two friends, Jiali and Wu Fan, swore in childhood that they would choose their own path. Jiali is a famous poet and healer, Wu Fan is a future female surgeon, the first in China. Both were lucky — they were raised as truly free people, and they live contrary to the rules that Chinese society imposed on women at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, Jiali gets married, and all their plans and dreams are in jeopardy. Charles, who has just been widowed, arrives from England to China, where he hopes to start a new life. The arrogance of his compatriots disgusts him, and he makes friends with his Chinese colleague Yanbu, his young wife Jiali and her friend Wu Fan. Together, these four work and learn from each other — cultures and traditions are mixed, fragmented, and modified. But the day comes when Charles has to make a choice between his homeland and his friends. . . Liu Hong, a profound scholar of Chinese history, has written a novel about true friendship, self-sacrifice, quiet rebellion and overcoming boundaries. Here, Chinese legends are mixed with the "Tale of Two Cities," and the Black Snake saves the White Snake over and over again, although at what cost is an open question. For the first time in Russian!