Northern Girls

Qian Xiaohong is born into a sleepy Hunan village, where the New China rush towards development is a mere distant rumour. A buxom, naive sixteen-year-old, she yearns to leave behind hometown scandal, and joins the mass migration to the bustling boomtown of Shenzhen. There, she must navigate dangerous encounters with ruthless bosses, jealous wives, sympathetic hookers, and corrupt policemen as she tries to find her place in the ever-evolving society.
Hardship and tragedy are in no short supply as her journey takes her through a grinding succession of dead end jobs. To help her through this confusing maze, Xiaohong finds solace in the close ties she makes with the other migrant girls ? the community of her fellow ?northern girls” ? who quickly and learn to rely on each other for humour and the enjoyment of life’s simple pleasures.
A beautiful coming of age novel, Northern Girls explores the inner lives of a generation of young, rural Chinese women who embark on life-changing journeys in search of something better.

Sheng Keyi was born in Hunan, and her 20s in Shenzhen and her 30s in Beijing. A highly regarded writer central to China’s literary scene, NORTHERN GIRLS will be the first of her full form works to be published in English. Keyi is a regular attendant of international literary festivals.