South of the Clouds.......by Seth Faison

'Stunning and delightful' -- Los Angeles Times

'An inspiring personal journey, an informative cultural exploration--Faison’s memoir works on many levels.' -- Publisher's Weekly

'A fascinating memoir, often shocking in its candor. Seth Faison succeeds in penetrating the hidden secrets of China through sexual adventure and self-exploration.' -- Iris Chang

'Generous, sweet, and mesmerizing.' -- Jennifer Finney Boylan

'Seth Faison writes with the candor of a good friend just back from a life-changing journey and eager to share all the intimate details. His daring honesty about himself deepens and enriches this personal odyssey to the true heart of the Middle Kingdom.' -- Aimee Liu, author of Flash House

'Faison’s insights into the odd mixture of nationalism, insularity and insecurity of the Chinese character allow him to make blunt assessments about Chinese culture, a difficult task for a Chinese author and a rash undertaking for a less-informed or unsympathetic outsider.' -- Financial Times

SOUTH OF THE CLOUDS offers a revealing portrait of China by telling the story of an American man who ventures into its hidden realms – politics, sex, the criminal underworld, and Tibet. As he matures from a wide-eyed student into a journalist and a seasoned observer, he develops a passion for uncovering secrets, about China and about himself.

The author navigates his way past forbidding walls to peek inside the dark corners of Chinese society, relying on a remarkable collection of friends and acquaintances who help guide the way: an embittered policeman in Xian, a gay professor in Shanghai, and a Buddhist monk in Tibet who presides at an ancient burial ritual where the corpse is carved up and fed to wild vultures.

The Tiananmen Square massacre, people smuggling and the Falun Gong movement are among the political and social upheavals that the author explains as he witnesses China’s uncertain road toward capitalism and its place in the modern world.

Along the way, the author wrestles with his own cultural identity, his sexuality, and his spiritual bearings. He finds an erotic outlet in the Chinese "Sauna Massage" and a stirring emotional connection with Jin Xing, a brilliant choreographer and China's first openly transsexual citizen. Ultimately, he discovers the answer to lifelong questions on a mountaintop in Tibet.

Seth Faison, with a subtle understanding of Chinese culture, brings past and present events to life in a thought-provoking account of this mysterious nation and its people.

Seth Faison won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 as a member of The New York Times team covering the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He spent 12 years living in China, as a student, a journalist, and finally as Shanghai Bureau Chief for The New York Times. This is his first book.