RED POPPIES

This rich ethnic novel is filled with events and people from the pre-occupation era of 1930 Tibet. The "idiot" second son of the chieftain Maiqi is the brilliant narrator. He is also the link between the old customs and a new world of ideas. From the planting of the opium poppies to the arrival of the Red Army, this wonder-filled story recreates a lost world of luxury, cruelty, and myth. Red Poppies, awarded China's highest literary award, the Mao Dun Prize, is read with verve and only a slight accent by Ping Wu. This reading, with its subtleinflections from each of the women and robust verbiage from the ferocious warriors, will enrich the listener's imagination, bringing each character into view as if embroidered on finest silk. B.H.B. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]