Description

Born in Shen Village in Southeast China Shen Fuyu grew up in a family of farmers Years later Shen now a writer returned to his hometown to capture the villages rich history in the face of industrialization

Through his own childhood memories and those of his ancestors Shen resurrects the working life of Shen Village through interlinked stories of fifteen artisans as their lives intersect over the course of a century While Shens view of his hometown and his heritage is tinged with nostalgia he does not romanticize it Nor does he sugarcoat the backbreaking difficulty of life in rural China but he still captures its small satisfactions and joys of loving ones work with a great deal of care

In a work that swings from poignancy to comedy Shen evokes the spirits of these workersa bambooweaver and his beloved bull a carpenters magical saw the deserter who became the village lanternmaker and a rebellious woman who beats up her own kidnapper

A reflection on the vicissitudes of smalltown life during the epic shift from agricultural to industrial civilization The Artisans vividly details the hardships friendships and communal mythmaking of a disappearing community