Why subscribe?
Hi, I’m Anne Giles. Thank you so much for reading our story!
Twig 枝丫 Zhīyā is a serialized fantasy novel written in Simplified Chinese characters for intermediate level readers. New chapters are published on Fridays. The full story is expected to be approximately 50 chapters.
It is written by me, Anne Giles, and edited by Mary, 侯慧颖 Hóu Huìyǐng. Many creators contribute to our project.
Why? Since I was a school child and checked the box on the Scholastic order form for The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, China has been a part of my thinking and imagination.
How? With my lower intermediate level of Mandarin Chinese proficiency, I do my best to think and write in Chinese. With the vocabulary and structures I have - and continue to learn - I am trying to convey everything I know of hearts and minds and lives, my own and others, and truths that others have shared with me, as exquisitely as I can.
I try to choose each word, each character, each phrase until I am moved. Then I choose the next one. I feel such empathy for all the people in this story and see them as if they truly lived and felt and thought and tried.
Via Google doc, I then share my draft with our editor, Mary, 侯慧颖 Hóu Huìyǐng, a native speaker, instructor, and curriculum specialist. She makes suggestions and corrections in the doc, then we meet online to discuss. That version goes to other native speakers for a final review. Other creators have access to the chapters as they’re completed and create their own contributions.
You, readers and listeners, enrich this synergy!
Getting started
Chapter 1 PPT slide with a highlighted grammar point, related vocabulary, example sentences, and AI-generated images to study on your own or to discuss with a teacher.
The story so far, just text, just 汉字, no pinyin or word lists.
Google Translate English version, first few chapters.
Table of contents includes links to chapters, audio recordings, and PPT slides.
More learning materials
Word Lists are available for review in Hack Chinese.
More resources are on the for students page.
More about the story
With questions or comments, please do contact me.
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