Super Short Summary

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie, translated by Ina Rilke, is set during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and follows two teenage boys sent to a remote mountain village for re-education. They befriend the Little Seamstress and discover forbidden Western literature, which introduces them to new ideas and emotions, ultimately leading the Little Seamstress to seek a life beyond her village. The novel contains descriptions of political oppression, violence, and self-harm.