“The Melon Seed”by A. T. Grant is published
Historical fiction and romance set around the unrest in Beijing, China during the Spring of 1989.
- (1888PressRelease) October 11, 2022 - Tiananmen Square, but not as portrayed by either East or West
“The Melon Seed”by A. T. Grant is published by Andrews UK
Historical fiction and romance set around the unrest in Beijing, China during the Spring of 1989.
ISBN #978-1944156893
About the Book:
Stephen’s comfortable but empty existence is transformed by an unexpected visitor from his past. Forced to face up to the consequences of a love long suppressed, he is drawn back to his time teaching in Beijing, China during the Spring of 1989. There he toyed with the people and events of the pro-democracy movement, only in search of youthful adventure. Despite his naivety, he was drawn inexorably towards both. Though travel took him from the Great Wall to the plains of Inner Mongolia, there was no escaping the pull of Tiananmen Square on the night of 4th June.
Excerpt from “The Melon Seed”:
“I summoned up the courage to help at the barricade. Rounding the bus, I stared into the distance. The smoke had thinned but the loud cracks and whistles had increased. There was a flash and then another bang and it finally dawned on me: the army had opened fire. Courage deserted me. I had retreated and jumped into the bus before I had any time to think. I stood in the aisle, panting, pressed against a cold metal screen, scanning for Mai Lin. Most of the seats had been removed, boards and tables set up in their place. From these, people were gathering up maps and papers and hurrying outside. Mai Lin was carrying a cardboard box. Seeing me, she pushed the box into my chest.
“They’re firing,” I blurted out.
“Yes,” she said. “The unarmed soldiers. That was a trick. The retreat is a tactic, too. People lost their heads and burned the trucks. Now the army has its reason to use force.”
“Plastic bullets and tear gas,” someone added, snatching the box from me. “Don’t worry, Richie, just keep your distance.”
It was Lee Dang, beaming at me as though we were in the Happy Days diner. By the time I recognised him, he was gone, his motorbike weaving through the debris towards Tiananmen Square.
The bus was set alight, but we did not stay to watch. People in the crowd were pointing and shouting. Some had now engaged. They were rushing out to help block the road. Further up, from amongst the smoke, sections of truck and armoured personnel carrier slipped in and out of view. Fire from the barricades licked at their wheels. People were running ahead of them, the braver ones stopping to throw whatever they could get hold of. The gunfire was becoming more intense. A Molotov cocktail lit up the asphalt in front of an APC. The vehicle dove straight through the flames.”
About the Author:
Dr A. T. Grant is married with two children and lives outside Bath in England. Widely experienced in teaching both at home and abroad, he has led student expeditions to remote locations across the globe. As an avid traveller, he has published three novels including The Jaguar: a tale of Gods, Ghosts and Gangsters (2015) which takes place on the US-Mexican border, an historical adventure in the remote Uluguru Mountains of eastern Tanzania called Leopard Skies (2016), and a contemporary ghost story set in Scotland entitled Feather (2017).
“The Melon Seed” is currently available in paperback from Amazon UK at:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melon-Seed-T-Grant/dp/1944156895
This novel is also available to download in e-book format from:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melon-Seed-T-Grant-ebook/dp/B0BG6RLN9S
Press/Media Contact Details:
Darin Jewell (A. T. Grant’s literary agent)
Managing Director
The Inspira Group Literary Agency
darin ( @ ) theinspiragroup dot com
tel. 0208 292 5163
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam