Winner of the Guardian First Book Award

From the back:

"In 1970s China, a young woman, Gu Shan, is executed for her loss of faith in Communism. Her father is unable to accept what his rebellious daughter has become, while her mother is devastated by the loss of her only child.

The citizens of her town - including seven-year old Tong, crippled Nini, the idler Bashi and beautiful Kai - unite in protest over her death. But the thing that brought them together can also tear them tragically apart, and over the following weeks, they go through uncertainty, hope and fear, until the rebellion is brutally suppressed."

A beautifully written but melancholy tale of life in China in the 70s. The characters are well-rounded and thus true to life and the story - despite its glimpses of humour - harrowing in so many ways. How little value human life sometimes has. Highly recommended reading.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Next off to chucklesthescot who chose it from ApoloniaX's Asian VBB. Enjoy!

Ooh brilliant, another Asian themed book to read! These are some of my favourites, so thank you for putting this one in the virtual bookbox!

This was a very slow book and I really struggled to keep going with it. I kept waiting for the action to begin but it just never seemed to happen so I did not finish reading it. I found it difficult to connect to Gu Shan, who is to be executed for deciding to turn her back on the teachings of Mao.It seemed to me that the author wanted us to feel sorry for her but I was not showing sympathy to a nasty, evil woman who disrespected her loving parents, had them and their neighbours beaten during the Cultural revolution, and who personally attacked an eight month pregnant woman causing her child to be born damaged. No sympathy for someone like that from chuckles! I also wanted to slap that creepy pervert boy Bashi...shudder! That little creep should be locked up!
I hope the next reader will enjoy it more-you probably will if you have more patience than me!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This book is going on a journey to Germany with a few wee holiday gifts for my pal ApoloniaX. I hope you enjoy the book!

I just came back from the Amsterdam BookCrossing Convention and this book was waiting for me (and some wonderful magnets from Scotland!). Thank you so much, chuckles!!!!

A masterpiece! On the cover it says "it puts you in the mind of Tolstoy or Chekhov" – and indeed this novel has the feel of a classic - beautifully detailed, brilliant characterisations. It’s no easy, light read, but a complex book that will stay with me for a long time. The novel revolves around a handful of people living in a dismal town called Muddy River, all of them suffering in their own isolated way, all of them outcastes, outlaws. It’s the time after the Cultural Revolution, the spring of 1979, a short time after Mao’s death, when the first glimpses of freedom appear. We follow this little group of people, see how their paths cross, and by this Yiyun Li invokes an impressive picture of life in a totalitarian state and its collectivist craziness. It’s a powerful, grim novel, one of those that have to be told – and not forgotten. Highly recommended.

Travelling to oppem
for the wishlist tag game.

What a lovely surprise to find this in my mailbox today ( & also the yummy wafers )..
Thank you so much for tagging me (yet again)..

Oppem, the Bookcrosser who previously journalled this book, passed away on June 23, 2012. I had the privilege of meeting her dear family and "catching" her large collection of registered books. I will be releasing this one soon.

Releasing at Community Park in Pendleton, OR, USA.

To the finder of this book:

This book is gift, no strings attached, from me to you. You may keep it forever, pass it along to a friend, or release it into the wild to be found by someone else.

If you are new to BookCrossing, welcome! Enjoy the site, the book, and the BookCrossing community. I hope you'll join us...it's free! If you do, please consider using me, elizardbreath, as your referring member. You can even remain anonymous if you wish!

I hope you'll make a brief journal entry so all the previous and future readers can track this book's journey.

Thanks, and Happy BookCrossing! :)

My son found this in the park and brought it home. And great timing i just finished my book last night and needed something to read. Thank you.