Lion's Head, Four Happiness: A Little Sister's Story of Growing up in China

(Paperback)

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A charming, quirky memoir of one little girl's life during the cultural revolution and the food that inspired her family and friends. A must read for for lovers of Chinese food and Chinese culture. Lion's Head, Four Happiness is the captivating story of Xiaomei Martell, who was born in one of China's most remote regions just two years before Mao launched the Cultural Revolution. The youngest of four daughters - her name means 'Little Sister' - her family had no money or connections, yet they raised her with a thirst for knowledge and a love of food, ranging from the Lion's Head meatballs her Uncle Deng cooked to the 'phoenix feet' that apparently cured wrinkles, by way of two-hundred-year-old eggs. Xiaomei's entertaining and inspiring story takes us to a world where children play with painted pig toes, dumplings give you perfect ears and rather than saying hello, you ask 'chilema' or 'Have you eaten' This is a unique and engaging account of a culture and cuisine that is a world away from the China we know today.

Reviews

I found Lion's Head, Four Happiness a riveting memoir set in one of the most tumultuous times in modern Chinese history. It is evident from the salivating accounts of food and cooking that it was the cuisine that helped Xiaomei in her delicious and uplifting journey -- Ken Hom
An enchanting glimpse into a fascinating culture -- Michael Booth
Martell's gentle account...[contains] lyrical passages -- John Gittings * The Guardian *
An unusual and refreshing memoir * Warwick Books & Kenilworth Books *

Author Bio

Xiaomei Martell was born in 1964 in Inner Mongolia, one of China's most remote regions, and spent her formative years there during the Cultural Revolution. After winning a coveted university place at the age of fifteen, she studied first English and then art in Beijing where she also worked after graduation, teaching English, acting as a travel guide and working for art galleries. She came to England in the late 1980s to pursue her studies and has lived in England ever since.