Book of short stories set in China is latest One Book, One Chicago pick

It’s one book with nine stories.

“Gold Boy, Emerald Girl” by Yiyun Li is the latest selection for Chicago’s citywide book club, One Book, One Chicago.

A collection of nine short stories set in China, “Gold Boy, Emerald Girl” shares the stories and characters of the people of China, all set between the 1970s and the present date, according to the Chicago Public Library.

Li is one of contemporary literature’s “masters of the short story,” and her work has been published extensively, according to a library news release.

“Through Yiyun Li’s unforgettable characters, we learn about a country and a people who are not so different from us,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel wrote in an open letter announcing the selection.

Li was born in China but moved to the United States in 1996 at the age of 23.

Throughout April, the Chicago Public Library and participating partners will offer events celebrating the book and the people it portrays.

An exhibit of artwork inspired by the stories, created by Chicago area high school students, will be on display through April at the Harold Washington Library Center.

One Book, One Chicago started in the fall of 2001 to encourage all Chicagoans to read the same book at the same time.

– Sun-Times Media