Mother of Red Mountains

In the shadow of China's tumultuous mid-20th century, an ambitious civil engineer is determined to protect her baby girls.

Despite a childhood marked by tragedies, Jun carves out a stable life for herself while shrewdly and skillfully navigating a male-dominated and politically charged society. As she rises through the ranks in her profession, she turns to her in-laws to help care for her daughters.

But when the Red Guards target her young family due to their connection with her in-laws' capitalist class, Jun fears their very existence is in jeopardy.

Amid frequent threats to their safety, can Jun rise above the challenges and safeguard both her family's future and their fragile stability?

Mother of Red Mountains is a historical tale that creatively weaves together history, personal stories, and the complex culture of revolutionary China, magnificently crafted by Apple An. Showcasing the power of sheer grit and determination, this book traces the journey of a formidable woman who dares to dream against all odds.

The book sweeps across multiple remarkable decades during which China was experiencing the throes of socio-political upheaval. Laying between its covers is the intriguing story of Jun, from an innocent girl who helps her Baba's shop to an ambitious woman, who despite hardship and amid rampant gender inequality, aspires for more than her preordained life. With grit, wit, and hard work, Jun becomes a star civil engineer at the best institute in the country with a great promise for a bright future. Jun's life takes an unexpected turn at the onset of China's Cultural Revolution when constant raids of Red Guards frighten her toddler girls, being cared for by her capitalist in-laws.

🏆 2025 American Fiction Awards: Winner of Family Saga; Winner for General Fiction; Winner for Multicultural Fiction; Finalist for Best New Novel; Finalist for Historical Fiction

🏆 2025 International Book Awards: Winner of Multicultural Fiction; Finalist for Best New Novel; Finalist for Historical Fiction

🏆 The Pencraft Spring 2025 Best Book Award for Historical Fiction

🏆 The Pencraft Year 2025 Best Book Award First Winner for Historical Fiction

🏆 2025 Autumn Readers' Choice Book Awards Silver Medal for Best Adult Book

🏆 2025 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) Silver Medal for Multicultural Fiction

🏆 The 2025 BookFest Awards: 2nd place for Women's Historical Fiction; 2nd place for Historical Pre-2020 Fiction; 3rd place for Historical Multi-Period Family Saga

🏆 2025 Next Generation Indie Book Awards - Finalist: Multicultural Fiction

🏆 2025 National Indie Excellence Awards - Finalist: Asian American & Pacific Islander Fiction

🏆 2025 Readers' Favorite Book Awards - Finalist for Multicultural Fiction