Red Poppies
Red Poppies by Alai, published by Mariner Books/Houghton Mifflin in 2003, is an Advance Review Copy comprising 433 pages. This novel presents a lively and cinematic epic set against the backdrop of the extravagant and brutal reign of Tibetan warlords during the rise of Chinese Communism. The narrative is delivered through the perspective of the chieftain’s son, who describes the bloody feuds, seductions, and secrets that define his family’s quest for power.
Readers will find a rich exploration of themes surrounding political intrigue and the opium trade, as the chieftain’s decision to cultivate opium poppies leads to significant consequences for Tibet. The story intertwines elements of family dynamics and the harsh realities of power struggles, offering a vivid portrayal of a lost kingdom. This edition invites readers to engage with a narrative that balances brutality and beauty, reflecting on the complexities of a historical moment.
Official synopsis Publisher
A lively and cinematic twentieth-century epic, Red Poppies focuses on the extravagant and brutal reign of a clan of Tibetan warlords during the rise of Chinese Communism. The story is wryly narrated by the chieftain’s son, a self-professed “idiot” who reveals the bloody feuds, seductions, secrets, and scheming behind his family’s struggles for power. When the chieftain agrees to grow opium poppies with seeds supplied by the Chinese Nationalists in exchange for modern weapons, he draws Tibet into the opium trade — and unwittingly plants the seeds for a downfall. A “swashbuckling novel” (New York Times Book Review), Red Poppies is at once a political parable and a moving elegy to the lost kingdom of Tibet in all its cruelty, beauty, and romance.
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