Excerpt from Pearl of China by Anchee Min, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

I looked. The wide Yangtze flowed freely and leaped aside into small canals and streams that fed the southern land.

"Beyond the valleys are hidden old temples that have stood for hundreds of years." Papa's voice rose again. "We live in the best place under the sun!"

I shook my head and told him that the demon in my stomach had eaten away my good sense.

Papa shook his head. "What did I teach you?" I rolled back my eyes and recited, "Virtue will sustain and prevail."

From Pearl of China by Anchee Min. Copyright 2010 by Anchee Min. Reprinted by permission of Bloomsbury USA. All rights reserved.