Radical

The new memoir from prize-winning writer and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo - playful, provocative and original, it''s her deeply personal take on striving for a life of her own

''When it comes to spinning light and shadow on the complexities of living, loving and language, Xiaolu Guo is one of the most valuable writers in the world'' DEBORAH LEVY

The world can seem strange and lonely when you step away from your family and everything you have tried to call your own. Yet beauty may also appear. In the autumn of 2019 Xiaolu travelled to New York to take up her position as a visiting professor for a year, leaving her child and partner behind in London. The encounter with American culture and people threatens her sense of identity and throws her into a crisis - of meaning, desire, obligation and selfhood.

This is a memoir about separation - by continents, by language, and from people. It''s about being an outsider and the desperate longing to connect. Xiaolu us