Petit Mao

In November 1921, Mao Zedong's second wife, He Zizhen gives birth to Little Mao. Two years later she is forced to abandon him to follow the Long March. Based on fact, this novel recounts what could have been Little Mao's life, in a country torn apart by wars, followed by the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Brought up with the love of Wan Yi, one of Mao's companions, but hated by his adoptive mother, Little Mao discovers the secret of his father's identity at age 5. During the summer of 1939, Wang Yi travels across China to Yan'an where Mao has found refuge, to return his son to him. But Mao refuses to take him. Little Mao then comes to realize he can expect nothing from his father. Based on a profound knowledge of Chinese history and supported by a lively writing style, Little Mao succeeds in captivating the reader with the voice of man struggling with the mystery of his identity and the absurdity of life. A former editor, Jacques Baudouin is the author of Le Mandarin blanc (Lattès, 1999), Prix du Roman Historique and Prix Jean d'Heurs and of L'Homme de Jade (Lattès, 2001). He founded the magazine Monde Chinois. He now works as publications director at the foreign office. "In this sensitive novel, Jacques Baudouin succeeds in portraying a China devastated by civil war and dictatorship without excessive pathos. The painful story of Little Mao is eloquent enough." Le Figaro Littéraire