Join co-hosts Anne Moore and Chris Stacey for an innovative, exciting, and passionate approach to world literature. We select a country and pick three books over the course of three months: one contemporary, one non-fiction, and one classic. Our current country is China & The Cultural Revolution. For our third meeting we discuss the classic selection To Live by Yu Hua.

After squandering his family’s fortune in gambling dens and brothels, the young, deeply penitent Fugui settles down to do the honest work of a farmer. Forced by the Nationalist Army to leave behind his family, he witnesses the horrors and privations of the Civil War, only to return years later to face a string of hardships brought on by the ravages of the Cultural Revolution. Left with an ox as the companion of his final years, Fugui stands as a model of gritty authenticity, buoyed by his appreciation for life in this narrative of humbling power.

We hope to see you in April to help us create a community you’ll find inviting, fun, engaging and a place to sustain meaningful friendships.

Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026

Time: 6:00PM Central

Location: Private room at a club on Michigan Avenue. Details after signing up.

Event Cap at 10 People: This event is filled. To join our wait list please email Chris at [email protected]. 

Reviews

“To Live reaches not only into the very essence of China and the Chinese people but into the blood and bones core of what it means to be a human being.” —Lisa See, author of On Gold Mountain

“A Chinese Book of Job, To Live is a heart-wrenching saga, written with beauty, defiance, and hope. Yu Hua’s books deserve a place on the highest shelf.” —Wang Ping, author of Aching for Beauty and Foreign Devil

“A book of subtle power and poignant drama. You love Yu Hua’s characters because they are flawed, vibrant, soulful, and real: you celebrate with them the small wonders of life, and feel their pain as they overcome tragedy. Ultimately, To Live is a redemptive story of the human spirit, one that is universal in its emotional depth.” —Terrence Cheng, author of Sons of Heaven

Note: A solid history of the Cultural Revolution is Mao’s Last Revolution by Roderick MacFarquhar and Michael Schoenhals,, In addition, one might consider reading these two short books that can provide a content for Chinese history and literature: Confucianism: A Very Short Introduction by Daniel K. Gardner and Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn) by Damien Keown.

Photo Credit: Penguin Random House, Promotional Material, Public Domain