The Palest Ink
Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters
- By: Kay Bratt
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 12 hours 14 minutes
Description
A sheltered son from an intellectual family in Shanghai, Benfu spends 1966 anticipating a promising violinist career and an arranged marriage. On the other side of town lives Pony Boy, a member of a lower-class family—but Benfu’s best friend all the same. Their futures look different but guaranteed…until they’re faced with a perilous opportunity to leave a mark on history.
At the announcement of China’s Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao’s Red Guard members begin their assault, leaving innocent victims in their wake as they surge across the country. With political turmoil at their door, both Benfu and Pony Boy must face heart-wrenching decisions regarding family, friendship, courage, and loyalty to their country during one of the most chaotic periods in history.
The prequel to the beloved Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters series, The Palest Ink depicts Benfu’s coming-of-age during the tumultuous years of the Cultural Revolution.
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Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters Series

The Scavenger's Daughters
By: Kay Bratt
Narrated by: Will Damron
Length: 7 hours 21 minutes
Abridged: No
“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole lives would change.” — Buddha. Coming of age during China’s Cultural Revolution, Benfu survived the cruel years, but he did not emerge unscathed. The Scavenger’s Daughters is the story of Benfu and his beloved wife Calli, chronicling their attempts to build a life in the... Read more »
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Tangled Vines
By: Kay Bratt
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
Length: 9 hours 30 minutes
Abridged: No
The pain of China’s Cultural Revolution well behind them, Benfu and his treasured Calla Lily are content in their old age surrounded by their family of adopted daughters. Once abandoned, the girls are now cherished members of the Zheng family. Yet there remains an emptiness in their hearts: their only biological daughter, Dahlia, was abducted as... Read more »
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Bitter Winds
By: Kay Bratt
Length: 9 hours 37 minutes
Abridged: No
The third audiobook of the Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters series, Bitter Winds follows the saga of Chinese couple Benfu and Calli, and the abandoned young women in their care.
Even after a decade of pain, Ivy remains closely tethered to Lily—her blind twin sister—and haunted by her mother’s admission the night their home burned, almost taking... Read more »
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Red Skies
By: Kay Bratt
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
Length: 7 hours 57 minutes
Abridged: No
In the fourth book of the Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters series, the fates of three people who’ve never met converge in profound and unexpected ways.
Mari, the daughter of the town scavenger, grew up knowing hardship, but she never could have anticipated the struggles that now face her as an adult. Feeling alone and isolated, she dreams of a... Read more »
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The Palest Ink
By: Kay Bratt
Narrated by: Will Damron
Length: 12 hours 14 minutes
Abridged: No
A sheltered son from an intellectual family in Shanghai, Benfu spends 1966 anticipating a promising violinist career and an arranged marriage. On the other side of town lives Pony Boy, a member of a lower-class family—but Benfu’s best friend all the same. Their futures look different but guaranteed…until they’re faced with a perilous opportunity... Read more »
Learn more