'An enduring cultural icon. Every story conveys Sanmao's infectious capacity for wonder' SHARLENE TEO, AUTHOR OF PONTI 'Sanmao traveled the globe and wrote of her adventures, inspiring generations of women to see the world beyond their own homes' NEW YORK TIMES The book that has captivated millions of Chinese readers, translated into English for the very first time When I first arrived in the desert, I desperately wanted to be the first female explorer to cross the Sahara. The thought of it used to keep me up all night. Sanmao- author, adventurer, pioneer. Born in China in 1943, she moved from Chongqing to Taiwan, Spain to Germany, the Canary Islands to Central America, and, for several years in the 1970s, to the Sahara. Stories of the Sahara invites us into Sanmao's extraordinary life in the desert- her experiences of love and loss, freedom and peril, all told with a voice as spirited as it is timeless. At a period when China was beginning to look beyond its borders, Sanmao fired the imagination of millions and inspired a new generation. With an introduction by Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti, this is an essential collection from one of the twentieth century's most iconic figures.