Mother of Red Mountains

Mother of Red Mountains by Apple An. Jun is a civil engineer in mid-century China, good enough at her work to climb an institute that was never built for women. She has two small daughters and a set of in-laws from the wrong class. When the Red Guards begin their raids, the family connection that once kept her girls safe is the thing that puts them in danger. A historical novel built on real events and real people, following one woman from a shopkeeper's daughter to the top of her profession, and through a revolution that threatens to take all of it back. First place for Historical Fiction at the 2025 PenCraft Book Awards.