A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers

Z is a 23-year-old Chinese language student who has come to London to learn English. When the book begins she can barely ask for a cup of tea, but when language comes, so does love. As she gets to know British culture she also falls for an older English man who lives a resolutely bachelor life in Hackney. It's a million miles away from the small Chinese town she comes from, where her parents want nothing more for her than that she should follow them into the shoe business. Z learns about sex, humour, companionship and passion, but she also learns the painful truth that language is also a barrier and the more you know about it, the less you understand. Written in short chapters, each the definition of a word, this is a brilliantly clever book that pokes fun at England and China and explores the endless possibilities for misunderstanding between East and West, men and women. A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers is an intriguing, funny and unusual novel about what gets lost in translation Sally Kinnes Herald An utterly captivating, and disorientating, journey both through language and through love Boyd Tonkin Independent An uplifting novel with moments of great poignancy and pathos Tatler Charming, bittersweet novel…compelling…The culture clash…is beautifully drawn and utterly convincing…A memorable take on East meets West Jane Housha Daily Express Funny and charming...more than a love story; its psychology is politically acute, and things noted lightly in it linger in the mind Ursula K Le Guin Guardian