Empress Orchid has sold over 300,000 copies so far in paperback Empress Orchid was a Richard & Judy Book Club choice in March 2006 Red Azalea was a New York Times Notable Book and was previously published in the UK by Orion

Born into a devoutly Maoist family in 1950s Shanghai and forced to work on a communal farm from the age of seventeen, Anchee Min found herself in an alienating and hostile political climate, where her only friendships were perilous and intense. Both candid and touching, this compelling memoir documents her isolation and illicit love against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution. From her coming of age in the Red Guard to her recruitment into Madame Mao's burgeoning industry of propaganda movies, Red Azalea explores the secret sensuality of a repressive society with elegance and honesty.