By December 1937, the Japanese Imperial Army had advanced into the heartland of China and reached toward their inevitable climax: Nanjing, China's capital and glorious ancient city nestled at the base of the Purple Mountain, was besieged. The government had fled, leaving several hundred thousand civilians and soldiers behind, among them a 12-year-old girl. To face the unthinkable.

An unprecedented historical novel, Purple Mountain presents a riveting, profoundly intimate portrait of Nanjing and its people during the first six days after its fall to the Japanese army. Within the city walls are men and women, young and old, soldiers and civilians, Chinese and a dozen foreigners, all caught up in the whirling, turbulent fires of history. The story, inspired by real historical events and people, probes deeply into the souls of victims and perpetrators of war atrocities, and hails its unassuming heroes and heroines. It is a powerful allegory against the folly of war and the horrors of genocide.

This is a new edition of the novel originally titled When the Purple Mountain Burns published by the Long River Press (Berkeley, CA, 2005). Two Chinese editions (one in simplified Chinese and one in classic Chinese) were published in Shanghai and Hong Kong respectively (2005). A screenplay Qi wrote based on the novel has been optioned for production.