Mushroom Circle

This book consists of two novellas, "Mushroom Circle" and "Three Cordyceps." Sijiong, the protagonist of "Mushroom Circle," lives through the absurd political years and into the present, witnessing countless changes in people and circumstances. With a pure force of survival, he faces the unpredictability of the times. The novella carries on Alai's consistent focus on the people of Tibet. His writing is richly poetic, blending reality into an ethereal sense of time and embracing the history of a people through the lives of ordinary individuals. It reveals Alai's deep-rooted love for the people of Tibet. "Three Cordyceps" tells the story of Sangji, a Tibetan schoolboy who skips class during cordyceps season to dig for cordyceps, hoping to ease his family's financial hardship and pursue his own pure ideals. Faced with a complicated adult world, Sangji's innocent inner world shines with nobility. The novella is imbued with a warm and moving atmosphere.