X-Book

Women, Seated

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

'Memorable and fascinating' COLM TÓIBÍN

'Propulsive, I couldn't put it down' MEG WOLITZER

'A propulsive psychological thriller, immaculately plotted ' LUCY CALDWELL

'Vivid, smart, suspenseful' MO YAN

In Women, Seated, we enter the world of an elite Chinese family: A life of luxury, limitless power, and around-the-clock service, which includes their trusted nanny Yu Ling.

Slipping in and out of the shadows, careful to speak deferentially, meticulous in her care of their only son Kuan Kuan, Yu has served the family for years and knows their secrets. But little do they suspect that Yu has secrets of her own.

In the pressure-cooker political environment of China, the fates of even the most powerful families can reverse overnight. When Kuan Kuan's father and grandfather are arrested and his socialite mother goes on the run, Yu is left behind to make a series of life-changing choices.

Will she be able to outrun her own past? How far will she go to claim what she considers her due?

Critics Review

Stupendous . . . Zhang Yueran's scenes and images have an unworldly gleam of both hard-won insight and timeless truth. The novel is a triumph
Ian McEwan on Cocoon
A masterful blend of narrative suspense, emotional intimacy and self-discovery
Guardian
Propulsive . . . a nanny witnesses a wealthy Chinese family's fall from grace - all while knowing their darkest secrets'
Millions
A nanny for a wealthy family plots to kidnap the child in her care. Unfortunately, her plans go off the rails . . . thrilling
NPR
This is a lovely novel of absences, the story of a family where most of the members are not present, and where the servants are in control. It captures Chinese society at a given moment, but, more important, it creates memorable and fascinating scenes and characters.
Colm Tóibín, author of Brooklyn
Vivid, smart, suspenseful
Mo Yan, Nobel Prize-winning author of Frog
Women, Seated is a propulsive, tightly wound, and beautifully observed novel that explores ideas of power, secrets, motherhood, and sacrifice. I couldn't put it down.
Meg Wolitzer, author of The Female Persuasion
In this tense, spare novel of class, cruelty, and redemption, a woman working as a live-in housekeeper for a wealthy family in Beijing abruptly finds herself responsible for her employers' young son when his father is detained by the authorities and his mother goes into hiding
New Yorker
Author Zhang Yueran
Narrator Cindy Kay
Duration 4 hours and 53 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781399756464
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Genre Fiction: general and literary, Social and ethical issues
Availability AU, GB, IE

More from the same

Narrator

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.