A Sunday Independent Book of the Year

Against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution and Europe’s sexual revolution, the fates of two families in London and Beijing become unexpectedly intertwined, in this dazzling new novel from the author of Mrs Engels.

Revolution is a Family Affair.

In London, sisters Iris and Eva, members of a radical performance collective, plan an attack on the West End theatre where their mother is playing the title role in Miss Julie. Meanwhile in Beijing, Jiang Qing, Chairman Mao’s wife, rehearses a gala performance of her model ballet, The Red Detachment of Women, which she will use to attack her enemies in the Party.

As the preparations for these two astonishing performances unfold, Iris, Eva, and Jiang Qing are transformed into unforgettable protagonists in a single epic drama. The three ‘sisters’, although fighting very different personal battles, find themselves bound together by the passions of love, by the obsessions of power, and by the forces of history.

Exquisitely observed, relevant, and wise, The Sisters Mao shows us that the political is always personal.

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‘McCrea’s portrait of Jiang Qing is a masterpiece of characterisation: at once monstrous and pitiable. The Sisters Mao is dazzlingly clever and original.’

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‘A capacious work of social realism … dazzlingly ambitious yet modestly human.’

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‘A study of political madness … modifying the old cliche that the personal is political, the message here is a reminder that the political is always personal.’

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‘It is impeccably researched and he interweaves the personal and the political to great effect.’

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‘Manages to combine vast research with lightness of touch and superb insights.’

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‘McCrea’s observations are a joy … this is a novel worth taking time over, for readers anywhere on the political spectrum.’

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‘The writing has an engrossing flow of energy, a vigour and a flair which have the audacity of invention … Given its immensity and arguments the novel could invite comparison with some of the great Russian writers.’

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‘McCrea has conducted exceptionally deep research to conjure up nuanced, authentic portrayals of the worlds of the book — but the text carries his knowledge lightly, supporting rather than dominating the story. The Sisters Mao is the best sort of historical fiction; one that illuminates the contemporary moment with great insight. Profoundly brilliant, it will no doubt be a huge contender on the literary awards circuit, but also one that is pushed feverishly from reader to reader with excitement.’

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‘Dynamic.’

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‘Ideas flow ceaselessly and impact in unexpected ways in Gavin McCrea’s compendious novel.’

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‘A new novel that's so powerful I think it's going straight onto my shelf of favourite books. It's a moving, thrilling, and thoughtful story that will captivate you.’

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‘Brilliantly chronicles the corrosive collision between the personal and the political.’

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‘Ambitious … McCrea writes insightfully about mother-daughter dynamics, the power of theatre, and women’s roles in revolutionary movements.’

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‘A stirring, perceptive exploration of radical politics … a sweeping portrait of three women shaped by fanaticism, dysfunctional families, intra-group sexism and politics-as-performance … This excellent novel, populated by maddening, memorable characters, offers a timeless reminder of extremism's perils.’