Lord Guan

In the spirit of ＂Shogun,＂ and from the publisher of the bestseller ＂Wicked＂ by Gregory Maguire, comes another iconic story inspired by the real-life hero Lord Guan, also known as Guan Yu. Known as an honorable warrior who fought to restore the Han dynasty in second-century China, this dramatic retelling vividly describes his rise out of a poor, pillaged village through his rigorous martial arts training to the heights of his military achievements, including those with his ＂Peach Garden Brothers＂ warriors. His unexpected romance with a beautiful, brilliant young woman who has cleverly escaped imprisonment as a concubine defines the meaning of devotion. Lord Guan is a deity and hero to millions worldwide. Many temples exist in his honor, and he is often revered as the God of Good Fortune, embodying the values of honor, courage, and loyalty. ＂Lord Guan＂ defines the true essence of heroism, the ideals of manly virtue, and will inspire readers of all ages to reconsider the meaning of warfare, love, humility, and courage.

Guan Yu (160 - 220 A.D.), also known as Guan Gong (Lord Guan), has been celebrated as a pan-Asiatic hero for well over a thousand years. He has been repeatedly canonized and deified across Asia.

This historically detailed novel tells the story of his humble beginnings in a rural setting, his unexpected journey into martial arts, the murder of his family members, his unexpected love story, and his emergence as an invincible warrior. It follows his dedication to restoring the great Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.) during a tumultuous and war-torn period in Chinese history.

At the outset of his mission, he forms a brotherhood with two equally idealistic supporters of the Han Dynasty. Together, the three men, known as the Peach Garden Brothers, become the backbone of a military force competing against warlords for control of the declining Han Empire.

Throughout the years of conflict, Lord Guan encounters Xian-Hui, a talented and educated beauty kidnapped by eunuchs from the Imperial Palace who is forced to serve as a concubine. With great courage, she escapes her bondage and unexpectedly meets Lord Guan during her frightening getaway.

Lord Guan ultimately sacrifices his life for his mission. Although he did not succeed in restoring the Han Dynasty, his legendary exploits have become an integral part of Chinese folklore. He has endured in the hearts and minds of millions throughout history as a symbol of courage, integrity, and loyalty.

This novel dramatically retells this enchanting true-life story, enriched with informative historical details. Lord Guan’s adventures were first romanticized in the classic epic of Chinese literature, the 14th-century novel ＂The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.＂ Charles Li’s ＂Lord Guan＂ is a modern and dramatic retelling of this historically significant tale.

Lord Guan’s character has been commemorated through the centuries in thousands of shrines across Asia and in various media, including opera, film, art, literature, and video games.

This novel highlights his journey and tells the story of the making of a timeless hero who symbolizes courage, honor, loyalty and integrity--values that will have broad appeal to readers of all ages during this challenging time.

Charles Li is Emeritus Professor of Linguistics and former Dean of the Graduate Division (1989-2006) at the University of California, Santa Barbara. An author and editor of numerous linguistics books and articles, Li’s memoir of the first twenty years of his life, The Bitter Sea: Coming of Age in a China before Mao, received wide critical acclaim. The book was chosen by Baruch College of the City University of New York as required reading for the 2010 Freshman Class and was adapted for the stage at the Baruch Performing Arts Center. In 2017, an NPR podcast featured the book. He is married to Katherine Saltzman Li, a UC Professor of Japanese Literature.