Stars at Dawn

A long-form coming-of-age novel for readers aged 25 to 35, with characters grounded in real life. It opens with a flashback, introducing the heroine, Fang Jingshu, and briefly outlining her journey as she grows up. The upheaval in her family during childhood, caused by the preference for sons over daughters, and the twists of fate in the love she finds as an adult both shape her life. Her bewildering married life often leaves her reflecting on herself. As the novel puts it: “I’ve never been a brave person, whether when acting selfishly for my own benefit or caring for others. Compared to any of them, I lack the courage to go all in, yet I still ended up losing everything, step by careful step.”