Everyday Movement
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- Vorbestellbar
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- Erwartet am 10. Feb. 2026
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- 10,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
"A powerful novel set in a Hong Kong that feels remarkably universal." —Mohsin Hamid, author of Exit West
"A dazzling, page-turning novel...Gripping, specific, important, and highly satisfying.” —Elif Batuman, author of The Idiot and Either/Or
A powerful, award-winning novel that follows the lives of two women as democracy starts to crumble in Hong Kong
On a weekend morning, college roommates Ah Lei and Panda wake up with very different reactions to the night before. They have been chased and tear-gassed in the streets of their city after joining tens of thousands of others to protest a national security law that would effectively spell the end of democracy in Hong Kong. Ah Lei can’t get out of bed, her heart heavy with the lingering images of the police and the violence on the streets, and her worries about the future of her hometown. Panda, whose resistance is no less ardent, puts on a sundress, lines her eyes, and urges Ah Lei to join her for brunch.
While the demonstrations rage, the routine of life also persists for Ah Lei, Panda, and people in their orbits. They attend family gatherings, fight with their mothers, try and fail to focus at work on Mondays, and make time for dinner dates and app hookups. But the looming political tension and anxiety for the future transform such everyday encounters. In the span of a few months, life as they know it seems to become a mirage: the comfort of air-conditioned shopping malls is disrupted by bloodshed; tear gas and the sounds of rubber bullets amid neon signs strangely evoke happier memories of summer night fireworks.
Gigi L. Leung’s visceral novel Everyday Movement reveals existential questions that interrupt normal life: belonging, patriotism, and the meaningfulness of an electoral democracy, as well as the pampering sense of normalcy created by consumerism. Fiery and tender, Leung’s writing captures the heartbreak, turmoil, and rebirth in bearing witness to and engaging with a shattering reality.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The well-rounded debut from Leung delves into the conflicting attitudes of student activists during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, which were triggered by a proposed bill that would have eroded the Chinese territory's sovereignty. At the story's outset, college student Ah Lei accepts an invitation from her roommate, Panda, to join her at a peaceful demonstration. Ah Lei isn't "the most political person," but she's galvanized by the proposed bill and transformed by witnessing police brutality during the event. Afterward, she can't understand how Panda sustains her carefree nature. Subsequent chapters portray other protestors, including Panda's cousin Ah Mak and his girlfriend, Chan Yuek, along with Chan Yuek's sometimes lover Ho Sam. Alternating perspectives, Leung shows how the characters' usual routines are disrupted by the protests, and how their bonds are tested by arguments over whether to use violence. Some of the dialogue is too expositional and flat, such as Panda's claim that "without a democracy or votes that count, we can still speak with our wallets." Leung is stronger when chronicling the inner lives of these young adults who find themselves at the center of history even as they contend with lovers' quarrels, sibling rivalries, and other quotidian rites of passage. It's an intimate portrait of bravery in the face of repression. Correction: A previous version of this review misdescribed the relationship between the characters Panda and Ah Mak. The review has been further updated for clarity.
