Usually I’m drawn to single iconic objects rendered in an interesting or unexpected way to draw a reader in. This book spans time and continents and felt like so many things all at once; China’s Cultural Revolution, a young violist, a family separated, love and tragedy.

The author and editor agreed that the cover should somehow evoke the different narratives at play, while still feeling simple and beautiful. The author felt strongly that she wanted it to have a strong sense of time and place while not using cliche imagery to signal Chinese culture.