The Secret Piano: From Mao's Labor Camps to Bach's Goldberg Variations Book

Zhu Xiao-Mei was born into a middle-class family in 1969 in Beijing. She was a child prodigy on the piano, taught by her mother, and she immersed herself in the classical masters. After Mao's Cultural Revolution, her middle-class roots became "bad origins" and Zhu was sent to re-education camp to eliminate her musical passion. This book tells Zhu's story through her difficult early years, longing for the comfort of playing piano, through to her emigration to France, where she was able to fully embrace her passion. She is now a well respected interpreter of Bach.
The River and Its Secret was originally published in France in October 2007 and was awarded the Grand Prix des Muses in March 2008. This is its first publication in English.