Following the lives of military intelligence officer Jie and his wife Moon, The Book of Secrets, weaves recently found material into a narrative that not only illuminates the shadowy world of intelligence in China, but also the emotional tragedies that political extremism inflicted on those working within.
Drawing on Jie’s own vivid biography of his youth, activist and bestselling author Xinran pieces together Jie’s trajectory as he joins the great hope of the Chinese young - the Communist Party - and becomes a loyal cadre until the late 1970s when, as a chief in the security forces, he makes a decision that will poison his family against him.
Xinran was the host of a pioneering Chinese radio show Words on the Night Breeze, which invited women to discuss their issues live on air.