The Last Communist Virgin
by Wang Ping
(Coffee House Press)
Wang Ping exposes the lives of Chinese and Chinese-Americans in The Last Communist Virgin. In "Where the Poppies Blow", a young girl finds hope while creating a secret garden. "Crush" is a story about a girl inspired by Hans Christian Andersen despite the ban on fairy tales. In "The Last Communist Virgin" and "Forage", two women, one a recent immigrant and the other a sophisticated Chinese-American New Yorker, compete over a playboy. Both women discover the emptiness in their lives and come to terms with it through friendship. The final story, "Maverick", weaves a fairy tale with a man's roots to his ancestral homeland.
Ping's stories juxtapose naive and refined characters, layering Chinese fairy tales over life's cold reality. Each story delves into the characters' hopes and the opposition they face with their families and culture. The Last Communist Virgin is a rich and compelling diary of humanity and quiet triumphs.
- Jesmia Avery