Queen of the Desert | Books

When you pick up Chinese writer Sanmao’s Stories of the Sahara, brilliantly translated by Mike Fu, keep these points in mind-do not judge this book by its cover; do not judge it by its back-cover blurb either; and definitely do not judge it by its foreword. None of these key introductions gives you the whole picture of Sanmao’s view of the world.

Each will have you believe that she was a serious writer who wrote serious things. And while this is true, none tell you how delightfully lighthearted her writing can be or how full of colour she found the world. None explains that this book is not only a glimpse of a particular part of the world at a particular time, but also a book by a traveller driven by an abiding sense of curiosity.

In other words, when you read Stories of the Sahara, expect the unexpected-goats falling through the ceiling on a regular basis, a heart-shattering story of love in the midst of violence, and a painful adventure in fishmongering with an embarrassing aftermath. Also, a curse that very nearly killed the writer. Not to mention a boyfriend/ husband so supportive that he could well be the only fictional character in the book (apparently, though, he was real).

Sanmao decided to explore the Sahara in the 1970s, inspired by a story in the National Geographic magazine, heading to a part of the massive North African desert that was then held by Spain. Within a short time, this part of the desert would explode with the bombs of freedom-fighters, closely followed by the armies of Morocco. These chapters are the most poignant and heartbreaking in the book. However, before that, Sanmao discovered worlds within worlds, sharing them generously with readers in China and Taiwan, becoming an iconic and inspirational figure for her travels and also for her brilliant, quicksilver mind.

Reading this book in English, you see exactly why Sanmao was so revered. This book not only takes us to a place most of us will never see, it is also an example of what many of us have long ceased to do-delight in our world.

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