The Chinese Whiskers

In the winding alleyways of old Beijing two cats, Soyabean and Tofu, find an idyllic existence as the pampered pets of foreigners. But when Soyabean is offered a job as a model for a new brand of cat food, tensions creep into their relationship. At the same time a mysterious virus is sickening people across the city and it is cats that are being blamed.Chinese Whiskers is a modern fable and a window to the rhythm and texture of life in the hutong neighbourhoods of imperial Beijing. Interweaving real episodes in recent Chinese history such as the Olympic Games, SARS virus and tainted pet-food scandals with a richly imagined world, this heartwarming storyof cats and humans will make you laugh and tear up, and think again about the universal battle between the corruption of modern living and the ideals of raditional life. Award-winning journalist and author Pallavi Aiyar spent six years living in a hutong home in the heart of the old imperial city of Beijing. She reported from across China for the Hindu and Indian Express in addition to teaching English at the Beijing Broadcasting Institute. She currently lives in Brussels with her husband, son and two cats.