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The Lucky Son: The Sequel to Mao’s Last Dancer
In Mao's Last Dancer, Li Cunxin stole our hearts with his inspirational rags-to-riches story of being plucked from obscurity as a child in Communist China to become one of the world's most acclaimed ballet dancers. Now, Li returns to captivate readers with what happened next in his extraordinary life as he is faced with new challenges that further test the strength of his spirit and the depth of his resilience.
As a celebrated artist living in the West, Li grapples with the complexities of cultural identity and personal sacrifice. Navigating the dazzling yet demanding world of international ballet, he is confronted by haunting memories of his humble beginnings in rural China and the family he left behind. Torn between two worlds, Li must reconcile the passion for his art with the love for his poor family in China, all while building his own family with his former dance partner and beloved wife Mary, and creating a new-generation ballet company that will transform the Australian ballet scene and take its dancers to the world stage.
Along the way, Li shares his hard-won and heart-felt life lessons on learning and leadership, love and legacy, and the power and possibility of dreaming big. Whether success comes through luck or from hard work and dedication, this inspiring memoir is proof that sometimes fortune favours the brave, and that the greatest performance of all is the one we give in our own heart.
As a celebrated artist living in the West, Li grapples with the complexities of cultural identity and personal sacrifice. Navigating the dazzling yet demanding world of international ballet, he is confronted by haunting memories of his humble beginnings in rural China and the family he left behind. Torn between two worlds, Li must reconcile the passion for his art with the love for his poor family in China, all while building his own family with his former dance partner and beloved wife Mary, and creating a new-generation ballet company that will transform the Australian ballet scene and take its dancers to the world stage.
Along the way, Li shares his hard-won and heart-felt life lessons on learning and leadership, love and legacy, and the power and possibility of dreaming big. Whether success comes through luck or from hard work and dedication, this inspiring memoir is proof that sometimes fortune favours the brave, and that the greatest performance of all is the one we give in our own heart.
- GenresMemoir
Audible Audio
Published October 6, 2026
About the author
Li Cunxin
15 books109 followersLi Cunxin (pronounced “Lee Schwin Sing”) is a remarkable man borne of a remarkable story. He has published a remarkable book about his extraordinary life. In his runaway best selling autobiography, Mao' s Last Dancer, Li recounts his determination, perseverance, vision, courage and hard work, and in particular, the sacred family values and integrity that he learned in poverty-stricken China, which has driven him to become one of the best dancers in the world. He tells of how the sixth of seven sons born to peasants grew up worshipping Mao Zedong before defecting to the United States.
Read more: http://www.licunxin.com/
Read more: http://www.licunxin.com/
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 5, 2026
I loved Mao’s Last Dancer and this is a wonderful follow up to what happened after in Li Cunxin’s life. I was surprised at how many different directions life has taken Li in but he reflects on it all with clarity and honesty - both about his successes but also failures, where he is generous in imparting the lessons he has learnt through them. This was a fantastic insight into what it looks like to take a chance on a dream and for those dreams to shape a life.
October 15, 2026
An interesting read as I have followed Li’s career. I do think that this account could have benefitted from being edited down. It’s very wordy and for me, over sentimental. Li, please lose a lot of those adjectives and flowery prose.
Review of advance copy
I was really happy to receive an advance copy to preview Li Cunxin's, The Lucky Son from Better Reading. I was a little concerned I hadn't read Maos Last Dance but was pleasntly surprised I had no trouble picking up from where he stared in the book. Li wrote this personal account of his life after leaving China to settle in Houston with his wife Mary (also a dancer). Li was Principal dancer with Houston Ballet and then Australian Ballet. He is a dedicated dancer, husband, father, son, brother and friend. Hard working and determined to support his family in Australia and China. His story takes us though his challenges and big dreams. Some successful and others not so. Li put Queensland Ballet on the world stage after he was invited to take over the company. I really enjoyed this book, it was easy and kept me interested. I will be definitley be getting a copy of Maos Last Dance to read next. Thank you Better Reading for the opportunity to preview.
October 17, 2026
📖 ARC provided by Penguin Random House Australia via NetGalley 🙏
⭐⭐⭐☆ (3.5/5)
📖 Format: 📱 eBook
📝 My thoughts
The Lucky Son is a valuable time capsule of personal and geopolitical history collected through Li Cunxin’s remarkable career. Spanning from 1988 to 2025, the book follows Li’s journey from his early career in the United States to his life in Australia, reflecting on the extraordinary trajectory of a boy born into rural poverty in China who became an internationally celebrated ballet dancer.”
I expected Li to canvass his time as artistic director of Queensland Ballet (2012-2023), but The Lucky Son also details his time with the Houston Ballet and Australian Ballet. For anyone interested in the business of ballet, the final third of the book provides deep insight into how to fundraise, network, and otherwise put on show.
Perhaps most surprisingly, the book goes into incredible detail about his family life. Both the life he has left behind (though never entirely) in China – his beloved parents and six brothers – and the life he built with his Australian wife Mary and their three children. For readers of Mary’s Last Dance, their eldest daughter’s deafness will not be news, but it was for me. It was an unexpected path, learning through the Lis, how vastly different the experience of deafness was in the United States, China and Australia from Sophie’s diagnosis, medical interventions, schooling, and support from the 90s to today.
The level of detail is impressive, although at times it comes at the expense of narrative momentum.
But the emotional core of The Lucky Son is Li’s portrait of a marriage. Their partnership is perhaps best summed up by Mary’s warning to her husband: “Darling, you know I love you, but you’re totally nuts”.
🎯 Perfect for readers who enjoyed...
📚 / 🎥 Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin: aka volume one (or the early years) of Li’s life story.
📚 Mary’s Last Dance by Mary Li: billed as the companion piece to Mao’s Last Dancer, this is Mary’s “memoir about chasing an impossible dream and sacrificing one’s own ambition for the love of a child”.
📚 The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do: Anh’s memoir about his journey from war-torn Vietnam to becoming a beloved Australian comedian.
🎥 The White Crow directed by Ralph Fiennes and starring Oleg Ivenko, this film centres on Rudolf Nureyev’s early ballet career and defection from Russia to the West in 1961.
📖 Would I borrow, buy or skip this?
📚 Borrow
❤️ Categories and vibes:
📖 Biography / memoir
🩰 Ballet
🦻 Disability representation (hearing loss)
🗳️ Politics and current affairs
🧭 Themes
🌏 Cultural identity
🏡 Belonging
👨👧 Fatherhood
👨👩👧👦 Family
Pacing
🐢 Slow
Ending
✨ Satisfying ending
⭐⭐⭐☆ (3.5/5)
📖 Format: 📱 eBook
📝 My thoughts
The Lucky Son is a valuable time capsule of personal and geopolitical history collected through Li Cunxin’s remarkable career. Spanning from 1988 to 2025, the book follows Li’s journey from his early career in the United States to his life in Australia, reflecting on the extraordinary trajectory of a boy born into rural poverty in China who became an internationally celebrated ballet dancer.”
I expected Li to canvass his time as artistic director of Queensland Ballet (2012-2023), but The Lucky Son also details his time with the Houston Ballet and Australian Ballet. For anyone interested in the business of ballet, the final third of the book provides deep insight into how to fundraise, network, and otherwise put on show.
Perhaps most surprisingly, the book goes into incredible detail about his family life. Both the life he has left behind (though never entirely) in China – his beloved parents and six brothers – and the life he built with his Australian wife Mary and their three children. For readers of Mary’s Last Dance, their eldest daughter’s deafness will not be news, but it was for me. It was an unexpected path, learning through the Lis, how vastly different the experience of deafness was in the United States, China and Australia from Sophie’s diagnosis, medical interventions, schooling, and support from the 90s to today.
The level of detail is impressive, although at times it comes at the expense of narrative momentum.
But the emotional core of The Lucky Son is Li’s portrait of a marriage. Their partnership is perhaps best summed up by Mary’s warning to her husband: “Darling, you know I love you, but you’re totally nuts”.
🎯 Perfect for readers who enjoyed...
📚 / 🎥 Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin: aka volume one (or the early years) of Li’s life story.
📚 Mary’s Last Dance by Mary Li: billed as the companion piece to Mao’s Last Dancer, this is Mary’s “memoir about chasing an impossible dream and sacrificing one’s own ambition for the love of a child”.
📚 The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do: Anh’s memoir about his journey from war-torn Vietnam to becoming a beloved Australian comedian.
🎥 The White Crow directed by Ralph Fiennes and starring Oleg Ivenko, this film centres on Rudolf Nureyev’s early ballet career and defection from Russia to the West in 1961.
📖 Would I borrow, buy or skip this?
📚 Borrow
❤️ Categories and vibes:
📖 Biography / memoir
🩰 Ballet
🦻 Disability representation (hearing loss)
🗳️ Politics and current affairs
🧭 Themes
🌏 Cultural identity
🏡 Belonging
👨👧 Fatherhood
👨👩👧👦 Family
Pacing
🐢 Slow
Ending
✨ Satisfying ending
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to @betterreadingau and @penguinbooksaus for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Having read the young readers’ edition of Mao’s Last Dancer during my primary school years, I was excited to return to Li Cunxin’s story in this sequel, The Lucky Son. The memoir continues his story, tracing Li’s personal experiences with fatherhood and family, and balancing his dancing and stockbroking careers during his time in Houston, Melbourne and Brisbane.
As someone who first encountered Li’s inspiring story as a child, I found it particularly meaningful to revisit his journey from a different perspective. I appreciated the memoir’s accessible and engaging writing, which allows readers from a wide range of backgrounds to connect with, not just those with a background in ballet and dance. During the first half, I did find some sentences felt a little repetitive within certain paragraphs, however, this became less noticeable as the memoir progressed and it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment. Li’s insights into his experiences as the Artistic Director of the Queensland Ballet were particularly interesting.
At its heart, The Lucky Son is truly moving, chronicling Li’s determination, optimism and love for his wife Mary, their children, his beloved parents and brothers, and all those who have supported him throughout his incredible journey. I definitely recommend this to others, especially readers who have previously connected with Li’s story. #BRPreview
Having read the young readers’ edition of Mao’s Last Dancer during my primary school years, I was excited to return to Li Cunxin’s story in this sequel, The Lucky Son. The memoir continues his story, tracing Li’s personal experiences with fatherhood and family, and balancing his dancing and stockbroking careers during his time in Houston, Melbourne and Brisbane.
As someone who first encountered Li’s inspiring story as a child, I found it particularly meaningful to revisit his journey from a different perspective. I appreciated the memoir’s accessible and engaging writing, which allows readers from a wide range of backgrounds to connect with, not just those with a background in ballet and dance. During the first half, I did find some sentences felt a little repetitive within certain paragraphs, however, this became less noticeable as the memoir progressed and it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment. Li’s insights into his experiences as the Artistic Director of the Queensland Ballet were particularly interesting.
At its heart, The Lucky Son is truly moving, chronicling Li’s determination, optimism and love for his wife Mary, their children, his beloved parents and brothers, and all those who have supported him throughout his incredible journey. I definitely recommend this to others, especially readers who have previously connected with Li’s story. #BRPreview
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
For those of you unfamiliar with Li Cunxin's journey, he was born in China and was one of 7 boys, living with his poor rural family until at 11 years old, he was chosen to study at the Dance Academy. He went on to become one of the best male dancers in the world, becoming principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and then the Australian Ballet. He was artistic director at Queensland Ballet from 2012-2023 and was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Prix de Lausanne for guys outstanding contribution to the arts and dance.
What an incredible memoir this is - a moving and personal story that made me smile and cry. I loved Mao's Last Dancer when I read it several years ago, but this sequel was fantastic to read!
Li's writing is deeply personal and reading his story is like sitting down with him and chatting to him over a cup of coffee. Honest and filled with love for his family and passion for his art, his story is one of hard work, bravery and resilience. Throughout it all, he regards grateful and humble. It was a joy to read. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Thank you @betterreadingau for gifting me a copy of this incredible book!
What an incredible memoir this is - a moving and personal story that made me smile and cry. I loved Mao's Last Dancer when I read it several years ago, but this sequel was fantastic to read!
Li's writing is deeply personal and reading his story is like sitting down with him and chatting to him over a cup of coffee. Honest and filled with love for his family and passion for his art, his story is one of hard work, bravery and resilience. Throughout it all, he regards grateful and humble. It was a joy to read. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Thank you @betterreadingau for gifting me a copy of this incredible book!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Received as an ARC from Better Reading Preview. This was in book form, not audio. My review:
I was very excited to read The Lucky Son by Li Cunxin as it follows on from his amazing first memoir Mao’s Last Dancer and covers the next period of his life in both his professional and personal spheres. I so wanted to know more of the details after he moved to Australia and then headed the Queensland Ballet and this memoir covers the span of time intimately but efficiently. The writing is again personable and reflects the importance and appreciation of support he received from friends, family and others, as well as his wish to return that support to the world. It has allowed Li Cunxin to dream big, take risks and reflect on what an amazing and lucky life he has experienced despite the reality that all ups have downs. There is poignant sorrow and love, mistakes and mis-steps, alongside the joy and successes. This memoir feels honest, real and was hard to put down.
I was very excited to read The Lucky Son by Li Cunxin as it follows on from his amazing first memoir Mao’s Last Dancer and covers the next period of his life in both his professional and personal spheres. I so wanted to know more of the details after he moved to Australia and then headed the Queensland Ballet and this memoir covers the span of time intimately but efficiently. The writing is again personable and reflects the importance and appreciation of support he received from friends, family and others, as well as his wish to return that support to the world. It has allowed Li Cunxin to dream big, take risks and reflect on what an amazing and lucky life he has experienced despite the reality that all ups have downs. There is poignant sorrow and love, mistakes and mis-steps, alongside the joy and successes. This memoir feels honest, real and was hard to put down.
Review of advance copy
The Lucky Son follows the second half of Li Cunxin’s remarkable rags to riches journey, from his life in Houston in 1988 through to 2025. It’s a long and detailed read, and while some of the financial and administrative sections about Queensland Ballet dragged for me, the heart of the book more than made up for it.
What I loved most were the behind the scenes insights into the ballet world — the sheer amount of planning, creativity, and teamwork required to bring a single performance to life. Those chapters were fascinating and gave me a new appreciation for the art form.
Above all, Li’s deep love for his family, ballet, and the people around him shines through every page. It’s a warm, generous story from someone who has lived an extraordinary life, and despite a few slower parts, I found it genuinely inspiring.
What I loved most were the behind the scenes insights into the ballet world — the sheer amount of planning, creativity, and teamwork required to bring a single performance to life. Those chapters were fascinating and gave me a new appreciation for the art form.
Above all, Li’s deep love for his family, ballet, and the people around him shines through every page. It’s a warm, generous story from someone who has lived an extraordinary life, and despite a few slower parts, I found it genuinely inspiring.
Review of advance copy
I thoroughly enjoyed Mao’s Last Dancer when I read it years ago, so I was keen to read the sequel. I did find this book to be a little uneven. The first part of the book didn’t really hold my attention. There was a lot happening but it seemed rather superficial. The second half of the book, however, redeemed this for me. Once we got to Queensland Ballet there was so much more detail, and I found myself immersed in what was happening in both his personal and private life.
Li Cunxin has achieved an incredible amount in his life so far. He has come from very humble roots and proved himself capable in many different areas. This was an interesting read, and I am in awe of his achievements.
I received a copy of this book for review from Better Reading
Li Cunxin has achieved an incredible amount in his life so far. He has come from very humble roots and proved himself capable in many different areas. This was an interesting read, and I am in awe of his achievements.
I received a copy of this book for review from Better Reading
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank for Better Reading for the ARC of The Lucky Son. I have been fortunate enough to hear Li talk at the literary event and was thrilled to be able to read about the next chapter of his life. Li has been inspiring in his support of Australian Ballet and in his role with Queensland Ballet. The sequel further explores the challenges he faced leaving behind his family in China but reminds us to follow your dreams as you never know what you can achieve.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The Lucky Son
Li Cunxin
What a thrill to get this book from @betterreading to preview. Thank you.
Li Cunxin was the Sixth of Seven sons and following his story in Maos Last Dance we learnt so much of his struggle and hard work to become a world renown ballet dancer.
The Lucky Son takes up the story of the rest of his life. He is a wonderful story teller and tells so clearly his experiences as he goes forward with his life after retiring. It was a wonderful journey Li takes us on ,sharing his life the ups and downs. He became very involved in share broking and that became his new life.
Due to his profile being so public he had made many friends and travelled.
We learn more of his parents lives and his brothers in China.
Li was invited to take over the Queensland Ballet company and brings so much success to the company and really puts Queensland Ballet on the world stage.it was lovely to also catch up on his family life and the support they gave him too.
This a wonderful book to read ,easy and engaging with humour and history and enlightenment of who the Man is . I have spent a delightful week reading and being lost in the man’s amazing life .
Lyndsay McMillan
Li Cunxin
What a thrill to get this book from @betterreading to preview. Thank you.
Li Cunxin was the Sixth of Seven sons and following his story in Maos Last Dance we learnt so much of his struggle and hard work to become a world renown ballet dancer.
The Lucky Son takes up the story of the rest of his life. He is a wonderful story teller and tells so clearly his experiences as he goes forward with his life after retiring. It was a wonderful journey Li takes us on ,sharing his life the ups and downs. He became very involved in share broking and that became his new life.
Due to his profile being so public he had made many friends and travelled.
We learn more of his parents lives and his brothers in China.
Li was invited to take over the Queensland Ballet company and brings so much success to the company and really puts Queensland Ballet on the world stage.it was lovely to also catch up on his family life and the support they gave him too.
This a wonderful book to read ,easy and engaging with humour and history and enlightenment of who the Man is . I have spent a delightful week reading and being lost in the man’s amazing life .
Lyndsay McMillan
October 6, 2026
A truly moving sequel written from the heart. Hard to put down and devoured in one sitting. Li’s passion, love of family, gratitude and humility shine through his writing. “Luck gets you through the door but hard work determines how long you stay”. Both of Li’s books are testament to this. If there is one autobiography you should read in 2026 this should be it!
October 9, 2026
There’s something about Li’s voice that is really captivating. Whilst being a very different pace to Mao’s Last Dancer, I thoroughly enjoyed this
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews