Blog tour: The Funeral Cryer

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu!

More about the book…

The Funeral Cryer long ago accepted the mundane realities of her life: avoided by fellow villagers because of the stigma attached to her job as a professional mourner and under-appreciated by The Husband, whose fecklessness has pushed the couple close to the brink of break-up. But just when things couldn't be bleaker, The Funeral Cryer 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.

More 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Her unpublished historical novel The Martyr's Hymn was also longlisted for SI Leeds Literary Prize 2018 and Bridport First Novel Prize 2019.

She lives in Cambridge with her family. 

Twitter: @wenyan_lu    Instagram: @wenyanwrites

My impressions…

A truly beautiful book which takes us from the darkness of a drab existence to the light of reawakening, of striving for a happiness that might not be out of reach after all. I loved the immersion in Chinese culture and the author’s prose, at times poetic and always captivating. The theme of identity (or lack thereof) is also a favourite of mine, and what better way to reflect on that than not giving a name to The Funeral Cryer? This is a mesmerising novel.

Three words to describe it. Poetic. Moving. Thought-provoking.

Do I like the cover? Yes, its simplicity is fascinating.

Have I read any other books by the same author? I am looking forward to that prospect.

 

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