Qin Sun Stubis’ Historical Epic, 'Once Our Lives,' Chosen as Finalist in 2024 International Book Awards

Real-life saga about four generations of Chinese women who survive war, revolution, and an ancient superstition earns distinction for creative nonfiction

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 26, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- From a field of thousands of books by authors across the globe, Qin Sun Stubis’ historical epic, “Once Our Lives: Life, Death and Love in the Middle Kingdom,” was named a finalist in the 2024 International Best Book Awards. Stubis joins a prestigious group of the awards’ laureates, including Amy Tan, Pope Francis, Sue Grafton, Anne Lamott, George Saunders, Julie Andrews, and Clive Barker.

“Once Our Lives,” which earned this latest distinction for creative nonfiction, is the real-life saga of four generations of Chinese women who survive war, revolution and the seemingly unshakeable effects of an ancient superstition. The book takes readers on a dramatic adventure from cosmopolitan 1930s Shanghai to China’s dusty and dangerous “Wild West,” and is filled with fantastical but true tales of pirates, prophecies, babies sold in opium dens, and a love story between a man whose fate was said to be sealed before he was born and a woman with three identities.

“Once Our Lives” debuted as a #1 Amazon New Release for 41 days and was chosen as the Gold Winner in the international Nonfiction Book Awards, the number-one winner of the PenCraft Book Awards for literary excellence in culture and history, the first-place winner of the Nellie Bly Awards for Journalistic Non-Fiction, and a winner of both a Best Book Award and a Readers’ Favorite Book Award. Ms. Magazine, Glamour Magazine UK, Grand Magazine, and Readers’ Favorite all selected “Once Our Lives” as a top recommended read.

“I am thrilled that ‘Once Our Lives’ was chosen as a finalist in the International Book Awards,” says Ms. Stubis. “My fondest hope is that this true story of love, hope, heartbreak, and humanity will build bridges between East and West and help remind people everywhere of our common dreams and struggles.”

About the Author

Qin Sun Stubis was born amidst the rubble of a Shanghai shantytown during the Great Chinese Famine, which killed some 50 million people. She was left alone in her crude bamboo crib for two years while her parents worked to scrape together a few coins each day for their daily handful of rice. Growing up, she and her sisters were at first ignored by the rest of the family for being “worthless” girls, and later shunned as political pariahs when their father was imprisoned.

Despite her family’s extreme poverty, Qin pulled herself up by reading forbidden books and winning admission to one of China’s most prestigious universities, graduating with a degree in English and English Literature. With the help of a powerful U.S. Senator, she emigrated to the United States to further her studies and became the first foreign student ever to earn a master’s degree from her university’s department of communications. Qin vowed to use her skills, education, and voice to speak up for the voiceless and to build greater understanding between Eastern and Western cultures.

For the past 15 years, she has been a newspaper columnist, exploring the rich legacy of Asian culture and the common links of humanity we all share. She also writes poems, essays, short stories, and original Chinese tall tales inspired by traditional Asian themes. More than 200 of her works have been published worldwide. You can find out more about her and her book, “Once Our Lives,” at www.QinSunStubis.com.

“Once Our Lives: Life, Death and Love in the Middle Kingdom” (Guernica Editions, ISBN # 978-1-77183-796-5, $21.95, 366 pp) is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores.

Mark Mark
Books Arts and Music
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