Cocoon – Zhang Yueran

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Chosen by Jo

Li Jiaqi and Cheng Gong recall their childhood friendship under Chinese communist rule, living with extended family and in wonderment about what really happened that rainy night in 1967 in the abandoned water tower where Gong’s grandfather was attacked. A story of family, mystery and intergenerational guilt, of China’s recent history and politics creeping in and taking over people’s lives.

Grandpa once told me he just went with the flow; he studied hard at school, and did his best as a doctor. He joined the army at the right time, and then joined the Party at the same time. He made sure to put his feet in the right place. The times were changing so quickly, one false step and you’d find yourself no longer on solid ground, plummeting into the abyss. Going with the flow was actually very difficult. Like a signal operator patiently adjusting the frequency, one needed sensitive ears and a still heart to correctly tune into the era.

●  This book was filled with heartbreaking themes – generational trauma and grief, inherited guilt, child abandonment with a little bit of domestic violence thrown in there, too. Interestingly, it wasn’t a miserable read but instead intriguing and powerful. I was gripped from the start and the understated bombs that went off through the book really shocked me. The vegetative grandfather added another element of interest and I’m still thinking about him being both alive and dead at the same time. The characters were complex and well developed. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it. – Jo

● Cocoon leads the reader assuredly through two families’ intertwining lives. It feels gentle at times, as well as grounded and deliberate, however there were also many moments that I know will sit with me uncomfortably for some time. The more I reflect on this novel the more I realise how clever and special it was. – Suzy

● This beautifully crafted novel reveals how the two protagonists Li Jiaqi and Cheng Gong’s history and fate were shaped by the Cultural revolution and the generations before them. I really enjoyed the complexity of the plot and characters. Their alternating stories weave together to make for an intriguing and complex plot. There is a lot of bleakness and sorrow and not a lot of true happiness, but I never felt dragged down by this. Zhang Yurean had a way of portraying an underling hopefulness. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone. – Jodie

● Despite themes of guilt, tragedy, shame and loss, Cocoon is a page-turner with a well-constructed cast. The main plot line focuses on Cheng Gong trying to discover who injured his grandfather during the revolution leaving him in a vegetative state. It was impressive how, even in his barely alive state, Zhang managed to make the grandfather such a personality in the story. But there is so much more to the book than this plot. Characters relay their own histories and struggles as well as weave in and out of the main plot line. Just when you think something is covered off, one character appears again providing a new angle to the intrigue. I loved all the characters, was invested in their plights and enjoyed the Chinese history lesson adeptly built in. This was a fantastic read and I think most readers would enjoy it. – Rachel

Published in Chinese 2016
Translated by Jeremy Tiang in 2022
World Editions Ltd
323 pages