I was delighted when my translation of
White Horse, by Chinese writer Yan Ge, made it onto the short-list of Warwick Women in Translation 2020. It was in serious company: Tove Jansson and Natalia Ginzburg were also on the short-list, chosen from 132 entries in 34 languages, but
White Horse is a book that can hold its own. As the judges said, ‘[This novella] portrays adolescence as heartachingly-recognizable the world over. Translated with charm and wit by the outstanding Nicky Harman.’
White Horse is about Yun Yun, a young girl growing up in a small West China town. Her mother has died in mysterious circumstances, but she lives happily enough with her father, aunt and uncle and older cousin Qing. Until her once-secure world falls apart, that is. Her cousin, who is a couple of years older than her, gets a boyfriend and clashes with her repressive parents, and Yun Yun is inevitably affected by the ensuing rows. Gradually, terrible family secrets are revealed, and Yun Yun is left isolated and alone as the adults, and her cousin, struggle to live with them.
It takes a while before we learn about Yun Yun’s mother (and I’m not going to spoil the plot by telling you) but in the meantime, Yun Yun finds relief from the stresses and strains of growing up in this toxic atmosphere: she starts seeing a white horse. Is the white horse a friend? Is it a sign of something much more sinister? It’s certainly a fantasy, liable to pop up when Yun Yun is feeling at her most vulnerable and abandoned.
This story is funny as well as spooky, and it certainly appeals to different age groups, including adults. We reckon that it’s a teen novel, but don’t let that put you off if you’re a teen-plus. It’s creepy, and it gets under your skin, and it’s worth reading slowly, because some of the clues that the author drops are very subtle. Subtle but definitely worth thinking on.
White Horse is set in China, but there’s very little that someone who knows nothing about that country will find hard to understand. There’s lots of street food (there always is in Chinese novels) that you may not have heard of but you’ll get the general idea: very yummy and our heroine can’t get enough of these treats. Perhaps the only thing that roots this novella in a distinctly different time and place is the social conservatism – Qing’s mother accuses her daughter of being a slut because she has a boyfriend, and kissing (according to Yun Yun and her friends) only happens in dirty foreign films!
White Horse is an engrossing read and a good-looking, beautifully-illustrated book. I’d like to thank Rosemarie Hudson for having faith in this little gem and publishing it.
Nicky Harman
November 2020