Prunus Press has printed the English version of Greenwood Riverside, a novel by Ye Guangqin.

Shortlisted for the 2011 Mao Dun Literature Prize, it narrates the dramatic life story of bandit Wei Futang in the ancient county of Greenwood Riverside, from the eve of the founding of New China to the present.

Ye weaves a detailed saga and portrays with poignancy the lives led by bandits and heroes, the rich and the poor, as well as men and women against the vicissitudes of over half a century.

"The compelling story of power, politics and revolution offers a shining gateway to knowledge and understanding of the Chinese people, both past and present," American writer Jerry Piasecki comments.

A descendent of the family of the Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908), 64-year-old Ye draws inspiration from her family background and her years of working in rural Shaanxi province.