Funeral Cryer

WINNER OF THE SOCIETY OF AUTHORS' McKITTERICK PRIZE 2024***'A refreshing perspective on mourning, as well as a moving tale of a social outcast' - i-D Magazine******'Subtle and understated [...] ultimately very moving' - The Big Issue******A fascinating glimpse into how [rural women's] lives are still led' - Dorset Magazine***Is it ever too late to change your life?Elegant, wry and moving, The Funeral Cryer tells the tale of one woman's mid-life re-awakening in contemporary rural China and proves that it's never too late to alter your fate.The Funeral Cryer long ago accepted the mundane realities of her life: avoided by fellow villagers because of the stigma attached to her job as a professional mourner and under-appreciated by The Husband, whose fecklessness has pushed the couple close to the brink of break-up. But just when things couldn't be bleaker, The Funeral Cryer takes a leap of faith - and in so doing things start to take a surprising turn for the better . . . Dark, moving and wry, The Funeral Cryer is both an illuminating depiction of a 'left behind' society - and proof that it's never too late to change your life.What readers have been saying about The Funeral Cryer:'A beautiful, thought-provoking book [...] incredibly humorous' - J. Wells, Five-star Reader Review'A stunning debut' - Stacey, Five-star Reader Review'A first person narrative that shows how the life of a middle-aged woman working as a funeral cryer in China is deeply linked to the people who touch her life and the way they treat her.' - Kate Poels, Five-star Reader Review'A remarkable novel that explores themes of marriage, family relationships, elderly care, and gender equality [...] this book offers a unique reading experience and an opportunity for deep contemplation.' - Rui, Five-star Reader Review'Excellent literary fiction. [...] Simultaneously the story speaks to the rural economic desperation, the separation of town and country, they way the young move to the cities and are often left