A Fine Piece of Jade is a fictionalized account of the experiences of the author’s mother growing up with French nuns in Wuhan during the Japanese occupation of China and the rise of Communist China.
The story follows Wāng Qí and Yuányuán, two girls sent from their privileged homes to a missionary school in Wuhan’s French Concession during World War II. Through war, revolution and political oppression, the fiercely independent Wāng Qí and the ever-cheerful Yuányuán form a bond that gives them the strength to persevere. However, greater dangers may lie closer than they expect.
The book was published in April 2025 by The Book Guild in the UK.