Yan Geling's latest novel is based on her grandfather and was a work of self-discovery, she says. Yang Guang reports.

Chinese-American writer Yan Geling has written about various women with dramatic stories. Now, she has switched her subject matter to a man for Inmate Lu Yanshi. In her latest novel, Yan narrates the ups and downs of protagonist Lu Yanshi's life over half a century. Born in Shanghai with a silver spoon in his mouth, Lu is disappointed with his arranged marriage. He goes to the United States to study and returns to teach at universities. During the political campaigns of the early 1950s, he is condemned as an anti-revolutionary and sentenced to life imprisonment in the country's northwestern wilderness.

Lu gradually realizes how much he loves his wife during the years in prison. But when he is released after the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), he finds it is impossible to integrate into his family once again.