There’s more to China than panda bears and sweet-and-sour-pork. The Summer Olympics have focused a lot of attention on China – her history, her people and her policies. Take a closer look at this vast and mysterious country through some of the books that have been written about “the Sleeping Dragon”

Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan. Before her memory fails, LuLing sets down her memoirs so that her daughter can better understand the choices she made. Born and raised in a remote village in China just before WWII, LuLing’s journey to modern America involves both joy and sacrifice.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. This engrossing novel, set in 19th-century China, tells the story of two lifelong friends. Their story is interwoven with the beliefs and practices of the time (including a horrifying description of foot-binding), the inferior status of women and the endurance of friendship.

The Crazed by Ha Jin. Set during the Tiananmen Square uprising of 1989, Jien Wen attends to his college professor who has suffered a stroke. The professors fevered rantings about his past reveal a different China to Jien and eventually changes the course of his life.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie. Forced into menial labor in a remote mountain village as part of Mao’s “re-education” program during the Cultural Revolution, two young men find strength and solace through the reading of forbidden literature. Charming, playful and bittersweet.