Description

When a state-supported choir’s American tour ends in New York’s Chinatown, celebrated tenor Yao Tian takes a private job to secure his daughter’s tuition—only to discover that a minor compromise can open the door to coercion and constant scrutiny. As his employer tightens control, Tian is pushed to surrender his passport, and the struggle over paperwork becomes a deeper battle over artistic autonomy, dignity, and what it means to remain “himself” under pressure. Ha Jin’s character-driven realism traces how immigration, loyalty, and cultural performance shape identity in both public spotlight and private fear. With moral clarity and quiet emotional force, this novel asks what hope costs when freedom is conditional—and what a person is willing to risk to keep their voice.

Available Editions

hardcover edition cover

hardcover

Pantheon

Published Jul 27, 2021

352 pages

ISBN: 9781524748791

available

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Details

First Published

2021

Language

eng

Content Warnings

Content and trigger warnings for A Song Everlasting by Ha Jin.

Abuse
Surveillance/Coercion