A beautiful blue stone is split in two, and one half of it is taken by artists, who marvel at its beauty. It then undergoes many transformations, but no matter its shape or form, it remains the same blue stone that longs to return home to its other half that still lies deep in the forest. This story is a fable about the effects of time, the inevitability of change, about homesickness and longing, yet it is also about hope and love, about beauty and creativity, pos sibilities, and ultimately about the circle of life. Author is the winner of twelve awards, including the 2006 Most Recommendable Book of the Year from Taiwan’s Council of Cultural Affairs. ae

Originally published as Lan Shi Tou in Chinese by Locus Publishing China, in 2006.