A duet in letters and commentary spanning over two decades. Lazy Man in China tells of a conjugal life involving work, travel and discovery in China; it is the story of a life set against the backdrop of a country experiencing radical economic transformation and social upheaval. This is also a book that gives voice to a double nostalgia — both for the ‘old’ new China and for a partnership rent by loss. It speaks of the past and the present; it is a touching memoir and a particular Australian account of a unique time.