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.
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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.