Beijing Tai Tai: Life, laughter and motherhood in China's capital

By Tania McCartney

When Tania McCartney discovered she’d be moving her husband, self and two kids under the age of five to China for four years, she was 95 per cent horrified. What she never expected was to fall in love. Beijing seeped under her skin and grabbed hold of her heart … a love affair that inspired 'Beijing Tai Tai', a collection of shrewdly observed, heartfelt and humorous insights into Beijing expatriate life.

Intensely personal, at times a little controversial, 'Beijing Tai Tai' is a rollercoaster ride of honesty and openness as a wife (tai tai) and mother juggles suburban family life in urban Beijing. Presented in a series of love/hate column-like snippets — on topics ranging from the consumption of bull testicles to the life-altering experience of walking the Great Wall — it exposes expatriate life in a country on the brink of great change.

From tragic hair moments and bustling silk markets to China’s quest to stay true to its ancient origins, 'Beijing Tai Tai' is a book for anyone interested in this diverse and culturally rich country. It’s for anyone, from anywhere, who knows what it’s like to fall in love, explore new worlds and live with challenges. It’s about life in a city full of soaring highs and disconsolate lows — but never anything less than remarkable.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Exisle Publishing
• Release date: Apr 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781927187265

Tania McCartney

Tania McCartney is an author, illustrator, designer, editor and book obsessive. The founder of Kids' Book Review and The Happy Book podcast, she has over 60 books in print or production, and is published in around 20 countries. Tania's career in magazines and publishing spans 35 years, and her greatest joy is in crafting books for children, specialising in picture books, non-fiction and junior fiction. A juvenile literacy ambassador, her shortlistings and awards include the NSW Premier's Literary Award, the World Illustration Awards, MAPDA. the Wilderness Society's Environment Award, the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Australia/New Zealand, and the CBCA Laurie Copping Award for Distinguished Service to Children's Literature. Tania has lived in France, England and China, and currently lives in Canberra with her family, a forest of artwork and a mountain of books. www.taniamccartney.com

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Reviews for Beijing Tai Tai

[geoffsc-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book describing the time Tania McCartney and her family spent four years in Beijing. She creates splendid word pictures of her experiences and observations, from snow falling to troubles with their 'Ayi' (home help).
A lighthearted but serious of the highs and lows of adapting to a new culture in a foreign city.
I thoroughly recommend it.