How do you think your historical novel addresses our current sociopolitical moment?
I didn’t set out to speak to our current sociopolitical moment because I think historical fiction tends to work best when it’s self-contained, but my book takes place during a time of immense wealth disparity in China, so I do think there are interesting parallels between that world and ours.
Which writer, past or present, would you most like to read your book?
I read a lot of Angela Carter when I was in my 20s. Her prose! I wanted to become a prose stylist just like her. I don’t know if I’ve gotten anywhere close, but I’d like to think she’d look favorably on some of my sentences.
How did you research your novel? Did you travel?
I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a year in Taiwan. Because of Taiwan’s proximity to China and because of the waves of immigrants that crossed the strait, Chinese maritime culture is still alive and well in Taiwan. I got to board replica junk ships, visit maritime museums, dig into library archives, and more.•
DEEP AS THE SKY, RED AS THE SEA, By Rita Chang-Eppig
BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING • MAY 2023 • 304 PAGES • $29 HARDCOVER
After her pirate husband’s murder, Shek Yeung manages to keep control of her portion of their fleet. But she soon faces an emperor who has put out a call to clear raiders from the sea, European colonialists determined to usurp her, and a new baby. Rita Chang-Eppig has written a sprawling historical novel about a strong Chinese pirate queen who will go to great lengths to protect her livelihood and her community.
