Balzac and the little Chinese seamstress
by Dai Sijie
Reading Level 7-8 Moderate (Lvl 3)
Ages 13+
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Two friends sent to a remote mountain village during China's Cultural Revolution stumble upon forbidden Western literature that opens their eyes to new ideas and emotions. As they share these stories with the local seamstress, they experience awakening feelings and a world beyond their harsh reality. This journey reveals the power of books to transform and inspire even in the toughest circumstances.
Representation & Themes
FriendshipComing of AgeFamilyRomanceHistoricalSocial JusticeLiterature
For Parents
Content Intensity
Level 3 — Moderate Gentle Mild Moderate Intense Very Intense
Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Political Conflict Romantic Content Censorship Coming of Age
Data confidence: standard
Details
- ISBN
- 9780385722209
- Pages
- 184
- Publisher
- Vintage
- Published
- 2002
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 45,481
Genres
Fiction
Subjects
Books and readingBoysFictionFiction, historicalChina, fictionFriendship, fiction