The Funeral Cryer

The Funeral Cryer

“The title character’s wry, sad, and insightful inner voice is the star here. Her meditations on grief, death, love, and duty are full of poetry and longing. Perfect for literary-fiction fans, especially those who enjoyed other extraordinary novels about ordinary people.” —Library Journal, starred review

Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman’s midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China, for fans of Yiyun Li and Julie Otsuka.

The Funeral Cryer long ago accepted the mundane realities of her life: avoided by fellow villagers because of the stigma attached to her job and underappreciated by her husband, whose fecklessness has pushed the couple close to the brink of breakup. But just when things couldn't be bleaker, she takes a leap of faith—and in so doing, things start to take a surprising turn for the better.

Dark, moving and wry, The Funeral Cryer is both an illuminating depiction of a “left behind” society—and proof that it's never too late to change your life.

Review

"The title character's wry, sad, and insightful inner voice is the star here. Her meditations on grief, death, love, and duty are full of poetry and longing. Perfect for literary-fiction fans, especially those who enjoyed other extraordinary novels about ordinary people."

-- "Library Journal (starred review)"

"This thought-provoking story will stay with me a long time...Spectacular."

-- "Diane Billas, author of Does Love Always Win?"

About the Author

Originally from Shanghai, China, Wenyan Lu is the winner of the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2020. Wenyan holds a Master of Studies in Creative Writing as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Creative Writing from the University of Cambridge. Her unpublished historical novel, The Martyr's Hymn, was also longlisted for SI Leeds Literary Prize 2018 and Bridport First Novel Prize 2019.

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