Morning brings new and old faces to Hai Ruo’s teashop. The premium leaves she sells to Xijing’s high society keep the doors open, however it’s her Sisterhood – a dozen glamorous confidants who visit daily to share tales of love, loss and professional success – that really keeps the shop running.

From a returning Russian expat to a hotpot tycoon, they epitomise the new possibilities of this ancient metropolis. The group's rise in business and society is sometimes helped by Yi Guang, a noted writer with his own artistic demons. But with every deal struck and official bribed, a debt accumulates, jeopardising a hard-won but brittle autonomy.

The gates of Hai’s establishment help keep the choking smog of the city at bay, and inside she provides a sanctuary for the friends to express their true selves. If only the tea leaves held all the answers. Instead, it’s up to the sisters to discover how far their bonds will really hold.

"…Jia Pingwa is meticulous as a miniaturist. Characters are lovingly flawed and human; they seem swept up in a wider ambivalence about the direction Chinese society is headed."

"The translation by Nicky Harman and Jun Liu is lucid and thoughtful."

-Rónán Hession, The Irish Times

Jia Pingwa began his life as a published author in 1980 and published his first novel in 1986. His 1993 novel Ruined City was banned for explicit content and became one of the most pirated books in modern Chinese literature. Jia Pingwa went on to publish a further 11 novels and has won multiple literary prizes.