"She is well known for being productive, and I was very impressed by her energy and creativity when we were working together," says Zhou Xuanlong, deputy editor-in-chief of People's Literature Publishing House.

"She writes fast, yet all her books are fluently and beautifully written."

Since Leung decided to focus on her business career and halt her writing in 1998, the publishing house had been eagerly awaiting her next literary effort, Zhou adds.

The new book is set in Hong Kong during the years 1949-59, and was first published in Hong Kong last year.

It's a narrative of the ups and downs of a young and attractive woman's life during the decade, which saw profound social, economic and political changes in both Hong Kong and the mainland after the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

The protagonist, Gui Yuxin, is the concubine of a man in a wealthy family but has to struggle for a living in Hong Kong because of the social turmoil. She goes through all sorts of hardships, including being raped, and finally finds true love and lives a meaningful life as she accepts that her fate is tied to the mainland.

Praising the new novel, Zhou says: "The characters and their lives are well depicted. Although it is fiction, it tells vividly what happened to Hong Kong in 1949 to 1959."

"The book encourages readers to ponder Hong Kong's history and future."