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by Lee Wind (Author), Jieting Chen (Illustrator)
Love of the Half-Eaten Peach presents an enchanting retelling of a timeless tale from ancient China. Yuan is destined to rule a region of ancient China called Wei, circa 500 BCE. When told by wise elders that to be an effective ruler, he must understand and strive for perfection, Yuan is baffled. After all, nothing is perfect. Yuan's friend Mi Zi Xia tries to help by finding something in the world that is truly perfect. He eventually finds a peach that, upon eating some of it, he believes fits the bill. Mi Zi Xia delivers the peach to Yuan, who does indeed find perfection - in the love he feels for the person who brought him the half-eaten fruit. Yuan and Mi Zi Xia's story gained such fame that over the centuries, it inspired generations of people to use the expression "love of the half-eaten peach" in Chinese to describe romantic love between two men. Love of the Half-Eaten Peach is an acclaimed, heartwarming picture book that reimagines an ancient folktale based on a true story. The book emphasizes: History and Culture: Travel more than 2,500 years back in time to ancient China and learn about some of the people and customs of that era. Duty and Responsibility: Watch lead character Yuan struggle with the expectations placed upon him as the future ruler of the region called Wei. Friendship and Love: Follow Mi Zi Xia on his quest to support Yuan and watch the two friends discover how much they truly care about each other. Folktales: See how an ancient tale inspired by actual historical events is reinterpreted for modern audiences with respect, care, and celebration.
Author Biography
Lee Wind writes the books that would have changed his life as a young Gay Jewish kid. From the moment he learned the real Gay history of Yuan and Xi Zia, Lee set out to retell their story as a celebration that Queer people deserve epic love, too - and that's the book you're holding in your hands. He's the author of the acclaimed picture book Red and Green and Blue and White and the award-winning nonfiction for readers age 11 and up, No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves. Lee also runs the popular blog I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read? - words his younger self only dreamed of saying. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband of more than 25 years, and they have a grown daughter. Visit him at leewind.org.
