• Features
  • New books
  • Topics
    • Writing historical fiction
    • History on your screen
    • Authors’ favourite books
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • TV, Film and Theatre
    • Classics
  • Advertising
  • About
  • Contact
  • Get our newsletter

Historia Magazine

The magazine of the Historical Writers Association

  • Features
  • New books
  • Topics
    • Writing historical fiction
    • History on your screen
    • Authors’ favourite books
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • TV, Film and Theatre
    • Classics
  • Advertising
  • About
  • Contact
  • Get our newsletter

The Sisters Mao by Gavin McCrea

9 September 2021 By Editor

Buy The Sisters Mao by Gavin McCrea

In London, sisters Iris and Eva, members of a radical performance collective, plan an attack on the West End theatre where their mother is playing the title role in Miss Julie.

Meanwhile in Beijing, Jiang Qing, Chairman Mao’s wife, rehearses a gala performance of her model ballet, The Red Detachment of Women, which she will use in order to attack her enemies in the Party.

As the preparations for these two astonishing performances unfold, Iris, Eva, and Jiang Qing are transformed into unforgettable protagonists in a single epic drama.

The three ‘sisters’, although fighting very different personal battles, find themselves bound together by the passions of love, by the obsessions of power, and by the forces of history.

The Sisters Mao by Gavin McCrea is published on 9 September, 2021.

Historia interviewed Gavin McCrea about his previous novel, the HWA Debut Crown-shortlisted Mrs Engels.

Share this article:Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on google
Google
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on email
Email

Filed Under: New books Tagged With: 20th century, China, Gavin McCrea, historical fiction, new release, The Sisters Mao

Search

What’s new in historia

Sign up for our monthly email newsletter:

Follow us on social media:

Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook

New books by HWA members

Crusader’s War by Michael Jecks

8 August 2026

Sinners by Elizabeth Fremantle

6 August 2026

The Last Retreat by Marina Palmer

6 August 2026

See more new releases

Showcase

Editor’s picks

16th-century Seville: Spain’s criminal capital

19 January 2026

Beatrice Cenci: innocent victim, cunning killer – or both?

14 November 2025

The window-smashing suffragettes of 1912

12 August 2024

Popular topics

14th century 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century 20th century 1920s 1930s Ancient Rome Anglo-Saxons author interview awards biography book review Catherine Hokin ebook France historical action historical crime historical fiction historical mystery historical thriller history HWA HWA Crown Awards India London Matthew Harffy medieval new release paperback research review Scotland Second World War short stories spies the writing life Tudors Vikings women's history writer's life writing advice writing tips WWII

The Historical Writers’ Association

Historia Magazine is published by the Historical Writers’ Association. We are authors, publishers and agents of historical writing, both fiction and non-fiction. For information about membership and profiles of our member authors, please visit our website.

Read more about Historia.

Find out about advertising and promotional opportunities. Read our contributor guidelines.

Recent Additions

  • Crusader’s War by Michael Jecks
  • Argentina: football and history
  • Sinners by Elizabeth Fremantle

Search Historia

Contact us

If you would like to contact the editor of Historia, please email editor@historiamag.com

ISSN 2515-2254

Copyright © 2014–2026 The Historical Writers Association