'McCrea's portrait of Jiang Qing is a masterpiece of characterisation: at once monstrous and pitiable. The Sisters Mao is dazzlingly clever and original.'
-- Antonia Senior * The Times *
'The work of a master storyteller.'
-- Joseph O'Connor
'A capacious work of social realism ... dazzlingly ambitious yet modestly human.'
-- Lara Feigel * The Guardian *
'A study of political madness ... modifying the old cliche that the personal is political, the message here is a reminder that the political is always personal.'
-- Phil Baker * The Sunday Times *
'It is impeccably researched and he interweaves the personal and the political to great effect.'
-- Lucy Popescu * Financial Times *
'Manages to combine vast research with lightness of touch and superb insights.'
-- Caitriona Lally * Sunday Independent *
'McCrea's observations are a joy ... this is a novel worth taking time over, for readers anywhere on the political spectrum.'
-- Christopher Harding * The Telegraph *
'Written with McCrea's trademark confidence and virtuosity, this is a sumptuous, winning book. Its characters are not so much drawn from life (Imelda Marcos makes an entrance) as strange revenants from a turbulent dream. Its high intelligence throws light everywhere, and suggestive shade.'
-- Sebastian Barry, author of
A Thousand Moons'The tremors of Gavin McCrea's prose thrillingly record what happens as a world spins off its axis, shattering public and private lives. This electrifying fiction confirms McCrea's status among the leading novelists of his brilliant generation.'
-- Frank McGuinness, author of
Someone Who'll Watch Over Me'The Sisters Mao is a spectacular novel, utterly enthralling and insightful; every voice is penetrating, dazzling. In spite of the setting, it is full of relevance for these times; it manages to be both historically authentic and thrillingly contemporary. Gavin is a writer of extraordinary talent, and I cannot think of a kind of reader who I would not recommend this novel to.'
-- Sara Baume, author of
Spill Simmer Falter Wither'Gavin McCrea is a wonderful writer: bold, innovative, and fiercely intelligent, and these qualities shine from this magnificent novel. I was enthralled from the first sentence to the last.'
-- Donal Ryan, author of
Strange Flowers'A sweeping political saga spanning East and West. McCrea's confident and lucid prose gives us both the personal and the political. Mesmerising.'
-- Xiaolu Guo, author of
A Lover's Discourse'The writing has an engrossing flow of energy, a vigour and a flair which have the audacity of invention ... Given its immensity and arguments the novel could invite comparison with some of the great Russian writers.'
-- Mary Leland * Irish Examiner *
'McCrea has conducted exceptionally deep research to conjure up nuanced, authentic portrayals of the worlds of the book - but the text carries his knowledge lightly, supporting rather than dominating the story. The Sisters Mao is the best sort of historical fiction; one that illuminates the contemporary moment with great insight. Profoundly brilliant, it will no doubt be a huge contender on the literary awards circuit, but also one that is pushed feverishly from reader to reader with excitement.'
-- Helen Cullen * The Irish Times *
'Dynamic.'
-- Sebastian Barry * The Irish Times *
'Ideas flow ceaselessly and impact in unexpected ways in Gavin McCrea's compendious novel.'
-- Neil Hegarty * The Irish Times *
'Major recommendation ... The incredible Gavin McCrea, beloved author of Mrs Engels, publishes his second novel, The Sisters Mao ... It's profoundly brilliant!'
-- Helen Cullen
'A new novel that's so powerful I think it's going straight onto my shelf of favourite books. It's a moving, thrilling, and thoughtful story that will captivate you.'
-- Eric Karl Anderson * Lonesome Reader *
'Ambitious ... McCrea writes insightfully about mother-daughter dynamics, the power of theatre, and women's roles in revolutionary movements.'
* Publishers Weekly *
'A stirring, perceptive exploration of radical politics ... a sweeping portrait of three women shaped by fanaticism, dysfunctional families, intra-group sexism and politics-as-performance ... This excellent novel, populated by maddening, memorable characters, offers a timeless reminder of extremism's perils.'
-- Kevin Canfield * Minneapolis Star Tribune *