The Shepherd and the Weaver

Clara Blum was born in Austria. At 31, she obtained Soviet citizenship, and after World War II, she moved to China. The novel "The Shepherd and the Weaver" is written in the genre of autofiction. The Shepherd and the Weaver are characters from an ancient Chinese legend. Niu-Lang and Zhi-Nu love each other, but the Milky Way flows between them. They can only meet once a year and spend time together. In Moscow, Hanna meets a Chinese theatrical director. Feelings flare between them, but happiness proves short-lived. Niu-Lang is sent back to China along party lines to carry out the revolution. Hanna longs to be with her beloved. Neither war, bureaucratic red tape, nor poverty can stop her, for she is his Zhi-Nu. China greets Hanna with new hardships and trials. Everyone says that Niu-Lang has died, but Zhi-Nu believes that they will meet again.