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Beautiful Country
A coming-of-age story set in modern day China centering on the friendship between an American and a Chinese boy who meet while training with Beijing’s Junior National Tennis Team.
Chase Robertson arrives in Beijing as a fourteen-year-old boy still troubled by the recent death of his older brother. He discovers a country in transition; a society in which the dual systems of Communist Era state control and an emerging entrepreneurial culture exist in paradox.
A top ranked junior tennis player in the U.S., Chase joins the practices of the Beijing National Junior Tennis Team and is immersed in the brutal, cut-throat world of Chinese sport. It is a world in which gifted children are selected at the ages of six or seven for specialized sport schools where they devote their entire youth to the pursuit of athletic excellence and are paid as professionals by the state. Athletes find themselves compelled to do anything possible to succeed—right or wrong. Those who fail to reach the pinnacle are cast aside and are left facing a desperate future without hope.
In China, Chase gains access to a culture rarely open to Westerners, and soon finds himself caught up in secrets. When his closest friend and teammate turns to him for help, Chase is faced with the dilemma of what to do when friendship, rules, and morals are in conflict.
Chase Robertson arrives in Beijing as a fourteen-year-old boy still troubled by the recent death of his older brother. He discovers a country in transition; a society in which the dual systems of Communist Era state control and an emerging entrepreneurial culture exist in paradox.
A top ranked junior tennis player in the U.S., Chase joins the practices of the Beijing National Junior Tennis Team and is immersed in the brutal, cut-throat world of Chinese sport. It is a world in which gifted children are selected at the ages of six or seven for specialized sport schools where they devote their entire youth to the pursuit of athletic excellence and are paid as professionals by the state. Athletes find themselves compelled to do anything possible to succeed—right or wrong. Those who fail to reach the pinnacle are cast aside and are left facing a desperate future without hope.
In China, Chase gains access to a culture rarely open to Westerners, and soon finds himself caught up in secrets. When his closest friend and teammate turns to him for help, Chase is faced with the dilemma of what to do when friendship, rules, and morals are in conflict.
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 19, 2016
94 people are currently reading
3397 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Thornton
2 books125 followersJ.R. Thornton graduated from Harvard College and later earned an MA from Tsinghua University in Beijing. He is the author of two novels:
Beautiful Country,
and
Lucien.
He lives in Italy working for AC Milan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
August 13, 2020
I like a good coming-of-age novel, which is why the premise of this book intrigued me. As a young teenager, Chase's father sends him to Beijing to join the national junior tennis team. In his temporary home, Chase tries to adapt to a new culture, all while missing his friends and his routine back home.
This book is written very simply, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Due to the writing style and a younger protagonist, this felt more like a YA read, even though I think it's being marketed as an adult novel. I did enjoy reading about Chase's experience of moving to a new country because relocating is such a formative experience, particularly at a young age.
My biggest critique of this novel is that I wanted more depth. I wanted to get to know the characters better, including Chase and the young boys who become his new teammates, I wanted Chase's family history to be further developed, and I wanted to know more about the relationship between Chase and his father, which was often tense. To me, it felt like the author would start to discuss interesting themes, but then not follow through, which is a skill that may develop over time (this is his debut novel). This was a pleasant and easy read, and I'll be keeping an eye on this author to see what he writes next.
This book is written very simply, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Due to the writing style and a younger protagonist, this felt more like a YA read, even though I think it's being marketed as an adult novel. I did enjoy reading about Chase's experience of moving to a new country because relocating is such a formative experience, particularly at a young age.
My biggest critique of this novel is that I wanted more depth. I wanted to get to know the characters better, including Chase and the young boys who become his new teammates, I wanted Chase's family history to be further developed, and I wanted to know more about the relationship between Chase and his father, which was often tense. To me, it felt like the author would start to discuss interesting themes, but then not follow through, which is a skill that may develop over time (this is his debut novel). This was a pleasant and easy read, and I'll be keeping an eye on this author to see what he writes next.
April 22, 2017
When I first heard about this novel I wanted to read it as soon as possible. Tennis and Asian culture sounds great!
This stories follow Chase as he is send to China to play tennis after his brother's died. He has to deal with a new developing culture and come to understand many aspect of life.
QW:
The writing reads as an autobiography style. Thornton does not tell the story fully in order. Sometimes he adds information about the future of a certain event to give a sense of this happens, but it is not important enough to repeat it somewhere else. He's writing was simple and easy to follow. But sometimes he was telling, but most of the time it work for me and I did not mind it.
Setting:
The setting was China and he did a good job on painting the layout. I could picture what he was saying . I like how he contrast China to different parts of the world, and even to the new verse of China.
Plot:
This novel is more exploring the culture than an real plot. We were following Chase through his journey of discovering this Nation through his experience. The conflict was not major and it selected itself pretty quickly, but I did feel the angry at Chase for doing something I found stupid. This novel kept my attention because I like novel that studies other cultures.
Characters:
The characters were great. i found them flawed but yet I rooted for them. I found this novel a great novel that explores a person in his teens not focus on love or some other stupid problems. He was analyzing a culture and I like Chase's growth. I love Victoria, and Random. Bowen I wanted to hug, but yet slap his face, then give him a pat on the back. I adore Chase's father, not the perfect father, but he is trying.
Themes:
This novel explores a lot of themes of the Chinese's culture, of trying to be a part of a culture, growing up, knowing what is right thing to do, and more. It analyze and put a perceptive on the culture itself.
Overall I give this novel a 5 out of 5 because I have not read any novels like this, and it had tennis aspect to it which I enjoyed. So 5 flat balls!
This stories follow Chase as he is send to China to play tennis after his brother's died. He has to deal with a new developing culture and come to understand many aspect of life.
QW:
The writing reads as an autobiography style. Thornton does not tell the story fully in order. Sometimes he adds information about the future of a certain event to give a sense of this happens, but it is not important enough to repeat it somewhere else. He's writing was simple and easy to follow. But sometimes he was telling, but most of the time it work for me and I did not mind it.
Setting:
The setting was China and he did a good job on painting the layout. I could picture what he was saying . I like how he contrast China to different parts of the world, and even to the new verse of China.
Plot:
This novel is more exploring the culture than an real plot. We were following Chase through his journey of discovering this Nation through his experience. The conflict was not major and it selected itself pretty quickly, but I did feel the angry at Chase for doing something I found stupid. This novel kept my attention because I like novel that studies other cultures.
Characters:
The characters were great. i found them flawed but yet I rooted for them. I found this novel a great novel that explores a person in his teens not focus on love or some other stupid problems. He was analyzing a culture and I like Chase's growth. I love Victoria, and Random. Bowen I wanted to hug, but yet slap his face, then give him a pat on the back. I adore Chase's father, not the perfect father, but he is trying.
Themes:
This novel explores a lot of themes of the Chinese's culture, of trying to be a part of a culture, growing up, knowing what is right thing to do, and more. It analyze and put a perceptive on the culture itself.
Overall I give this novel a 5 out of 5 because I have not read any novels like this, and it had tennis aspect to it which I enjoyed. So 5 flat balls!
November 13, 2016
Very authentic and believable.
May 11, 2016
If you or your kids play tournament tennis or any other sport where the stakes seem frighteningly high, read this book right now. I can almost guarantee that you'll find it both heartbreaking and humbling to see how low the stakes are in comparison. Much of BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY reads more like an essay than a novel, probably because J.R. Thornton knows more about junior tennis than he knows about writing fiction, but whenever I think about the slightly dull prose or the vagueness of the American characters (such as Chase's father), I remember Bowen, the talented, doomed Chinese tennis player. From his very first appearance, Bowen is alive and fascinating and tragic. The details about the Chinese tennis system during the time period of the novel are fascinating and tragic, too, making Bowen's predicament almost Promethean. Why should a person be born with such drive and talent if he's only going to be thwarted by a monolithic and insular system? What if helping him means doing something unfair, but NOT helping him means that his life, where things were never fair, becomes even more unfair? As a quasi-Dystopian myth, the novel completely succeeds: it creates a world without mercy, a noble hero who suffers through no fault of his own (and to no end), and a young outsider who forces us to look.
September 27, 2021
*..."that in confronting choices, the three most important things to remember were duty, honesty, and courage. Duty was about shunning temptation and fulfilling your responsibility to others. Honesty was always being truthful. An courage was about having the strength to do the right thing." P. 9
*"An institution devoted to writing-the act of recording the past-had become a reminder of how humans often try to remove the unwanted parts of their history." P. 119
*"We heal our wounds, and we will fight until we come to the end." P. 308
A coming of age story about a 14 y.o., still grieving over the recent death of his older brother, is sent to China by his father to join the Beijing national junior tennis team's training camp. He discovers a China in transition, with dual systems of Communist-era control and an entrepreneurial culture. He witnesses first hand the Chinese world of sports, from early selection of gifted children who devote their waking moments to the sport and what happens to those who fall short of expectations.
This is the author's first novel, which I found to be a compelling read in that I wanted to know what happened to both Chase and Bowen in the end. I admit to being slightly disappointed in the ending in that the story wrapped up so quickly after the prior chapters. For me, it was a letdown.
Having said that, I still enjoyed the story.
*"An institution devoted to writing-the act of recording the past-had become a reminder of how humans often try to remove the unwanted parts of their history." P. 119
*"We heal our wounds, and we will fight until we come to the end." P. 308
A coming of age story about a 14 y.o., still grieving over the recent death of his older brother, is sent to China by his father to join the Beijing national junior tennis team's training camp. He discovers a China in transition, with dual systems of Communist-era control and an entrepreneurial culture. He witnesses first hand the Chinese world of sports, from early selection of gifted children who devote their waking moments to the sport and what happens to those who fall short of expectations.
This is the author's first novel, which I found to be a compelling read in that I wanted to know what happened to both Chase and Bowen in the end. I admit to being slightly disappointed in the ending in that the story wrapped up so quickly after the prior chapters. For me, it was a letdown.
Having said that, I still enjoyed the story.
July 26, 2016
I have no idea why I finished this book. I guess I was hoping it would get better. It didn't. The main character was absolutely clueless. There was a dead older brother who I guess was supposed to be guiding his little brother, but it was neither believable nor did you feel much sympathy for the situation. The father was by far the worst character who was dictating his son's life solely according to what he wanted him to do. I really wanted to like this book because the premise is great, I love tennis and am interested in Chinese culture, but unfortunately it just didn't cut it.
June 11, 2024
I love how J.R.Thornton explored the theme of courage in this book, realizing that even though "Courage is about always doing the right thing," "each person has to work out their own personal algorithm of courage." Given he was demonstrating how the main character, Chase was coming to grips with seeing the eyes of courage through someone else's perspective, I would have loved this book to be written from a dual perspective to give us a greater sense of Bowen's algorithm.
June 9, 2017
I was eager to read BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, the coming-of-age story of a talented 14-year-old tennis player, who is American but training for a year in Beijing. The author, J. R. Thornton, played tennis at Harvard and on the pro circuit, so I knew he would write about the sport with the extensive knowledge I had to acquire through research when I wrote my novel BREAKING AND HOLDING. I knew too that the setting would enrich the novel. Though BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY met these expectations, it disappointed me in other ways.
Chase Robertson is in Beijing at the direction of his father, who has business interests with the Chinese government and feels that the year-long change of environment will help Chase overcome the loss of his older brother from a drug overdose. But Chase is left entirely on his own to navigate the sharp differences between training at U.S. tennis academies and at China's National Training Center. There, young children are selected based on talent, forced to train rigorously and desperately for years, and all but the best of them are eventually banished from the only life they know. He becomes deeply immersed in the culture of a nation still shifting from the Communist era to an increasingly Westernized one, and his father's relationships open doors to in-depth knowledge and secrets not always available to the country's visitors.
One of the author's primary purposes was to enlighten readers about today's China and the contrasts between that country and ours. But for this reader, Thornton lectured instead of enlightening, failing to weave information seamlessly into the novel. Often, I felt taken out of the story and into the classroom by long didactic passages ("But in China, this…" and "In China, that…).
Thornton successfully wrote in the voice and point of view of a 14-year-old. And I praise him for that, he also left the reader with long strings of declarative sentences and not much notable imagery. True, I personally love good prose and gorgeous sentences, and the lack of these things could be deemed appropriate for young Chase's perspective. For other readers, this may not be problematic at all, but I longed for more interesting writing and style.
I sincerely congratulate Thornton on the coming-of-age aspects of the book. Chase's relationship with his emotionally detached father begs for mutual empathy and change, and Thornton provides resolution. Most importantly, Chase faces moral dilemmas when asked for help by Bowen, his best friend on the Beijing team. Chase learns from his experience while impacting Bowen's life in a major way. The final chapter moved me – emotionally, and from two stars to three.
Chase Robertson is in Beijing at the direction of his father, who has business interests with the Chinese government and feels that the year-long change of environment will help Chase overcome the loss of his older brother from a drug overdose. But Chase is left entirely on his own to navigate the sharp differences between training at U.S. tennis academies and at China's National Training Center. There, young children are selected based on talent, forced to train rigorously and desperately for years, and all but the best of them are eventually banished from the only life they know. He becomes deeply immersed in the culture of a nation still shifting from the Communist era to an increasingly Westernized one, and his father's relationships open doors to in-depth knowledge and secrets not always available to the country's visitors.
One of the author's primary purposes was to enlighten readers about today's China and the contrasts between that country and ours. But for this reader, Thornton lectured instead of enlightening, failing to weave information seamlessly into the novel. Often, I felt taken out of the story and into the classroom by long didactic passages ("But in China, this…" and "In China, that…).
Thornton successfully wrote in the voice and point of view of a 14-year-old. And I praise him for that, he also left the reader with long strings of declarative sentences and not much notable imagery. True, I personally love good prose and gorgeous sentences, and the lack of these things could be deemed appropriate for young Chase's perspective. For other readers, this may not be problematic at all, but I longed for more interesting writing and style.
I sincerely congratulate Thornton on the coming-of-age aspects of the book. Chase's relationship with his emotionally detached father begs for mutual empathy and change, and Thornton provides resolution. Most importantly, Chase faces moral dilemmas when asked for help by Bowen, his best friend on the Beijing team. Chase learns from his experience while impacting Bowen's life in a major way. The final chapter moved me – emotionally, and from two stars to three.
August 13, 2016
Occasionally unreadable, but mostly just bland; more or less the diary of a fourteen-year-old in China; ought to have been classified as YA. Themes and revelations might resonate with the teeny-bopper set? Material on China's 21st-century cultural evolution conveyed general insights, and a few nicely rendered scenes -- but again, straight out of a tourist's personal diary; tennis stuff and family stuff never probed deeper than surface level; one-line moralizing became tiresome for lack of depth and nuance; Thornton's protagonist "wonders" about things on, like, every third page; rarely investigates or confirms.
Two stars instead of one due largely to chasm in expectations. (I was expecting a work of adult literary fiction, and after having read Evan Osnos' *The Age of Ambition* was curious to read novel about modern China.) I hesitate to slam, because it may have been failure in marketing. Still, not much to this one.
Two stars instead of one due largely to chasm in expectations. (I was expecting a work of adult literary fiction, and after having read Evan Osnos' *The Age of Ambition* was curious to read novel about modern China.) I hesitate to slam, because it may have been failure in marketing. Still, not much to this one.
January 27, 2024
Not entirely sure why I finished, but I did. Picked it up as a tennis junkie and was excited to learn about the sport and China through the eyes of Chase. Seriously choppy writing. There were interesting themes brought up, but so many seemed to be left hanging. Not super deep. The last 50 or so pages I skimmed. Was just blah really. Had potential I think but didn't seem to have much plot or depth.
September 16, 2024
Simple and journalistic, this was a pretty good read.
I feel like I gleaned a fair education on China from this, though I’m not sure what message or warning it was trying to give. The main character was a little morally gray for my liking, though I suppose he was a kid and probably more confused than malicious about a lot of things.
It was €2 in a newsagents, so I think that was a steal.
I feel like I gleaned a fair education on China from this, though I’m not sure what message or warning it was trying to give. The main character was a little morally gray for my liking, though I suppose he was a kid and probably more confused than malicious about a lot of things.
It was €2 in a newsagents, so I think that was a steal.
April 28, 2022
I love books that immerse me in a new culture, and I did learn quite a bit about China in this book. However, the choppy, unpolished writing style, the predicatable, practically non-existant plot line, and the one-dimensional characters negated any interesting insights.
August 31, 2020
The writing was really good and engaging, and I was truly very interested in the story for the most part, but it never went where I wanted it to go, it was all very flat at the end instead of building to something interesting and impactful
April 19, 2016
"You always want to win. That is why you play tennis, because you love the sport and try to be the best you can at it."
----Roger Federer
J.R. Thornton, An internationally ranked junior tennis player, pens his debut novel, Beautiful Country that narrates the story of a young boy in a new country-Beijing, all by himself, to get trained under best and strict tennis coach so that he could be ready for the international championships. But when friendship comes before Tennis, he needs to make a terrible choice to protect either the people or the things he love.
Synopsis:
A coming-of-age story set in modern day China centering on the friendship between an American and a Chinese boy who meet while training with Beijing’s Junior National Tennis Team.
Chase Robertson arrives in Beijing as a fourteen-year-old boy still troubled by the recent death of his older brother. He discovers a country in transition; a society in which the dual systems of Communist Era state control and an emerging entrepreneurial culture exist in paradox.
A top ranked junior tennis player in the U.S., Chase joins the practices of the Beijing National Junior Tennis Team and is immersed in the brutal, cut-throat world of Chinese sport. It is a world in which gifted children are selected at the ages of six or seven for specialized sport schools where they devote their entire youth to the pursuit of athletic excellence and are paid as professionals by the state. Athletes find themselves compelled to do anything possible to succeed—right or wrong. Those who fail to reach the pinnacle are cast aside and are left facing a desperate future without hope.
In China, Chase gains access to a culture rarely open to Westerners, and soon finds himself caught up in secrets. When his closest friend and teammate turns to him for help, Chase is faced with the dilemma of what to do when friendship, rules, and morals are in conflict.
Chase, a 14-year old top ranked junior tennis player in the U.S, arrives in Beijing to be trained with the best Tennis team of the city. That is when Chase meets a Chinese boy named, Bowei, who helps him solve his language barrier problem and together, they explore an enlightening oriental journey that opens their minds about the constantly shifting Chinese culture, politics and the economy. But when Chase has to make a difficult choice, he is left with no option to protect his friendship beyond all the cultural indifference and the harsh rules of an equally strict Tennis coaching and practice.
Being a young debut author, the writing style is extraordinary and is laced with emotions and vivid and in-depth layering. The narrative is highly engaging enough to keep the readers glued till the very end. The story is written in a way that it will immediately arrest the readers mind. The pacing is moderate as the author pens each and every details vividly.
Written from a personal experience, the author has diligently captured the city of Beijing from its landscape to the people to its changing culture and changing socio-economical dynamics. And it is bound to make the readers experience a first-hand taste of this changing oriental city.
The characters are drawn from realism and are extremely well-developed. Especially, the main character,Chase, considering his tender age, He is level-headed and being alone in a different country, he behaves quite maturely. Chase's friendship and his bond with the new friends is amazing and really strong, despite there is a huge language and culture barrier. The supporting cast are also very well-etched out.
Overall, this is a fascinating story about moral values, hard-work, dedication and inter-culture friendship that is both illuminating as well as captivating.
Verdict: A compelling read!
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, J.R. Thornton, for giving me an opportunity to read and review his book.
----Roger Federer
J.R. Thornton, An internationally ranked junior tennis player, pens his debut novel, Beautiful Country that narrates the story of a young boy in a new country-Beijing, all by himself, to get trained under best and strict tennis coach so that he could be ready for the international championships. But when friendship comes before Tennis, he needs to make a terrible choice to protect either the people or the things he love.
Synopsis:
A coming-of-age story set in modern day China centering on the friendship between an American and a Chinese boy who meet while training with Beijing’s Junior National Tennis Team.
Chase Robertson arrives in Beijing as a fourteen-year-old boy still troubled by the recent death of his older brother. He discovers a country in transition; a society in which the dual systems of Communist Era state control and an emerging entrepreneurial culture exist in paradox.
A top ranked junior tennis player in the U.S., Chase joins the practices of the Beijing National Junior Tennis Team and is immersed in the brutal, cut-throat world of Chinese sport. It is a world in which gifted children are selected at the ages of six or seven for specialized sport schools where they devote their entire youth to the pursuit of athletic excellence and are paid as professionals by the state. Athletes find themselves compelled to do anything possible to succeed—right or wrong. Those who fail to reach the pinnacle are cast aside and are left facing a desperate future without hope.
In China, Chase gains access to a culture rarely open to Westerners, and soon finds himself caught up in secrets. When his closest friend and teammate turns to him for help, Chase is faced with the dilemma of what to do when friendship, rules, and morals are in conflict.
Chase, a 14-year old top ranked junior tennis player in the U.S, arrives in Beijing to be trained with the best Tennis team of the city. That is when Chase meets a Chinese boy named, Bowei, who helps him solve his language barrier problem and together, they explore an enlightening oriental journey that opens their minds about the constantly shifting Chinese culture, politics and the economy. But when Chase has to make a difficult choice, he is left with no option to protect his friendship beyond all the cultural indifference and the harsh rules of an equally strict Tennis coaching and practice.
Being a young debut author, the writing style is extraordinary and is laced with emotions and vivid and in-depth layering. The narrative is highly engaging enough to keep the readers glued till the very end. The story is written in a way that it will immediately arrest the readers mind. The pacing is moderate as the author pens each and every details vividly.
Written from a personal experience, the author has diligently captured the city of Beijing from its landscape to the people to its changing culture and changing socio-economical dynamics. And it is bound to make the readers experience a first-hand taste of this changing oriental city.
The characters are drawn from realism and are extremely well-developed. Especially, the main character,Chase, considering his tender age, He is level-headed and being alone in a different country, he behaves quite maturely. Chase's friendship and his bond with the new friends is amazing and really strong, despite there is a huge language and culture barrier. The supporting cast are also very well-etched out.
Overall, this is a fascinating story about moral values, hard-work, dedication and inter-culture friendship that is both illuminating as well as captivating.
Verdict: A compelling read!
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, J.R. Thornton, for giving me an opportunity to read and review his book.
August 14, 2016
I was excited to read this book because I have always found Chinese culture intriguing. It was interesting to learn about it from an American's perspective.
Beautiful country got my attention in the first few chapters, but somewhere in the middle, it began to bore me. The first half of the book was just random anecdotes about China, loosely tied together with Chase's narration and thoughts. A lot of these stories were interesting, but some of them seemed irrelevant. It wasn't until the last half of the book that there was an actual plot. Around page 225, I was finally excited to find out how everything wrapped up... Then, the ending fell flat. It was very anticlimactic and disappointing.
The whole book was told from Chase's point of view. In the beginning, Chase seemed too immature... Then, he seemed like he grew up (yay, finally!) until he made some really stupid and immature decisions. However, I understand that he had to grow up because this is really a young adult book. Also, Chase couldn't stand up to his dad, which really annoyed me. (Chase's strange relationship with his father is explained later in the book.)
The other characters, however, were really interesting. Little bits and pieces of the other tennis players and their lives were very interesting. I actually wish we learned more about those other characters. Madame Jiang had an interesting story too. I also liked Victoria - she was very sweet and loyal.
In the end, Beautiful Country had some interesting parts and characters, but the idea of an American teenager in China was better than the actual execution.
Beautiful country got my attention in the first few chapters, but somewhere in the middle, it began to bore me. The first half of the book was just random anecdotes about China, loosely tied together with Chase's narration and thoughts. A lot of these stories were interesting, but some of them seemed irrelevant. It wasn't until the last half of the book that there was an actual plot. Around page 225, I was finally excited to find out how everything wrapped up... Then, the ending fell flat. It was very anticlimactic and disappointing.
The whole book was told from Chase's point of view. In the beginning, Chase seemed too immature... Then, he seemed like he grew up (yay, finally!) until he made some really stupid and immature decisions. However, I understand that he had to grow up because this is really a young adult book. Also, Chase couldn't stand up to his dad, which really annoyed me. (Chase's strange relationship with his father is explained later in the book.)
The other characters, however, were really interesting. Little bits and pieces of the other tennis players and their lives were very interesting. I actually wish we learned more about those other characters. Madame Jiang had an interesting story too. I also liked Victoria - she was very sweet and loyal.
In the end, Beautiful Country had some interesting parts and characters, but the idea of an American teenager in China was better than the actual execution.
May 4, 2016
Chase is a 14 year old boy who is sent to China by his father to train with a Chinese tennis team following a tragedy within his family. While Chase would prefer to train in the US, his authoritarian father believes he should go to China and arranges for him to stay with an influential family in China.
Chase trains with a tennis instructor whose techniques are counter to everything he has learned in the US and is faced with antiquated equipment and courts. He struggles to communicate with other boys on the team given his lack of command of the Chinese language and their inability to speak English. Chase develops a friendship with Bowen who is the best player on the team.
Upon his return to the US, Chase is faced with a moral dilemma as to the eligibility of Bowen in a tournament. As a reader, my heart was breaking as Chase is deciding how to proceed; whether to choose the morally correct route or to uphold Bowen's request.
Having never been to China, I felt that I was there given the fabulous descriptions provided by Mr. Thornton. Chase's visit to the Forbidden City transported me there and could totally relate to his qualms about certain foods which were served to him. This book was terrific and I am in awe that it was written by a recent college graduate. The insight, beautiful prose and character development is remarkable and kudos to Mr. Thornton for a great book.
Chase trains with a tennis instructor whose techniques are counter to everything he has learned in the US and is faced with antiquated equipment and courts. He struggles to communicate with other boys on the team given his lack of command of the Chinese language and their inability to speak English. Chase develops a friendship with Bowen who is the best player on the team.
Upon his return to the US, Chase is faced with a moral dilemma as to the eligibility of Bowen in a tournament. As a reader, my heart was breaking as Chase is deciding how to proceed; whether to choose the morally correct route or to uphold Bowen's request.
Having never been to China, I felt that I was there given the fabulous descriptions provided by Mr. Thornton. Chase's visit to the Forbidden City transported me there and could totally relate to his qualms about certain foods which were served to him. This book was terrific and I am in awe that it was written by a recent college graduate. The insight, beautiful prose and character development is remarkable and kudos to Mr. Thornton for a great book.
May 25, 2016
This is a nice simple little read about a 14 year old boy who is sent to China for a year by his father ( who has business ties in China) to study the culture, language and play tennis. Its a coming of age about a boy who discovers how very different life in China varies from his life in the U.S. Our protagonist , Chase, becomes friends with a young tennis protege and discovers very quickly how different it is growing up in this culture. This is an extremely simplistic read but I believe was done so on purpose ( if not I'm writing a novel). I guess this book really deserves 3 stars but I gave it four because having played a lot of tennis in my younger days it brought back some great memories.
January 1, 2016
I received my copy of this book free through Goodreads, and I am so glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this young man's impression of life as a visitor in China. The author obviously did a tremendous amount of research in preparation for writing this narrative. The contrast between the level of coaching in China and back home in the U.S. was mind-boggling. Also, the contrast between the players themselves was surprising. I hadn't given much thought to how much the Chinese youth sacrificed in order to play for their country.
By the way, the title comes from one of the Chinese youth, who referred to America as "Beautiful country." Makes one stop and think.
By the way, the title comes from one of the Chinese youth, who referred to America as "Beautiful country." Makes one stop and think.
May 11, 2016
A young man goes to China to play tennis
I listened to an interview with the author on NPR. The novel was about China and tennis. Two of my favorite topics. This novel is autobiographical and although the writing is good, not great, the story provides a look into China and its people that is well worth reading. I was in Beijing myself during the period that the story takes place. I was there only three weeks, and strictly a tourist but I recognized the authenticity of the writing. We in the western world know so little about China. Reading this book is an opportunity to change that.
I listened to an interview with the author on NPR. The novel was about China and tennis. Two of my favorite topics. This novel is autobiographical and although the writing is good, not great, the story provides a look into China and its people that is well worth reading. I was in Beijing myself during the period that the story takes place. I was there only three weeks, and strictly a tourist but I recognized the authenticity of the writing. We in the western world know so little about China. Reading this book is an opportunity to change that.
June 20, 2016
I have never visited mainland China and I do not know a lot about tennis, but I found this book to be fascinating and rewarding. It was refreshing to watch the story unfold through the eyes of this young author, who is clearly an emerging talent to watch. The main character Chase finds himself navigating the complexities of a cultural divide that touches nearly every aspect of our society today as China asserts its economic and cultural clout. But it all also illuminates how we can enrich our own lives by listening, understanding and bridging those divides. The book is very accessible and a very strong first novel from JR Thornton. I would definitely recommend that you check it out.
May 13, 2016
This book should be classified as a Young Adult book, the writing is very simplistic and really not very good but the story is interesting. I thought it was a memoir but it's marked as fiction but it appears to be closely based on the author's own experience playing tennis in China. I love tennis, I love watching my kids play tennis, I love watching professional tennis so that was intriguing to me but the story line between the narrator and Bowen fell flat towards the end. Even if you don't like the book, at least it doesn't take long to get through.
October 23, 2016
The story of a 14 year old tennis pro living in China, alway from his father - his only family after having lost his beloved older brother - is interesting in so far that it gave me a view of modern Chinese culture and social values. The problem for me is that it reads as if it was written by a 14 year old; a talented one, but still lacking in depth and poetry. Entertaining, except for the long descriptions of tennis matches.
November 14, 2024
A very compelling and quick read! Even though I have lived and worked in Hong Kong for a year and have been married to a Chinese lady for 20+years, I still found the tale full of meaning and insights about China, and especially relationships in Chinese culture. As someone else said, it is simple yet rich story!
May 12, 2016
Lovely, touching story. Appreciated learning about China through the sweet young narrator's eyes.
May 28, 2016
Brilliant.
April 11, 2020
Superb novel, especially for young boys. Reminds me very much of "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles. Am giving it to a few friends with teenage boys in the family.
August 28, 2016
A nice way to get some understanding of Chinese culture from the very personal perspective of an American teenager living in China for a year.
October 11, 2016
This is a really weird book. Read to the end, compulsively but not with much enjoyment
May 29, 2017
Despite a degree from Harvard University in history, English, and Chinese, perhaps Mr. Thornton could have invested in a thesaurus.
February 10, 2019
This is a fictional story, but as a few other reviewers have mentioned it reads much more like a memoir. I haven't been able to find too much detail on the author, but since he was an internationally ranked junior tennis player and lived in Beijing for awhile as a teenager, I'm guessing this fictional account is at least loosely based on some of his experiences there, even with his disclaimer of "All characters, including the narrator, are entirely imagined and bear no relation to any living persons. I'm also curious as to who Tom Mallory is in the dedication in the front, who lived for 17 years. In the story the MC, Chase, has a brother who dies at age 17. Coincidence?
All that aside, I enjoyed the story. I just loved the young boy, Chase, who was aching from so much trauma in his young life and then is abandoned on a continent thousands of miles away from his home, family, and friends. The characters in the book who seem so villainous, initially, are seen in a different light as we learn their deeper layers and what makes them tick. Chase, being a typical teenager, saw situations as black or white. His mentor in the book, helps him to see there are many shades of gray. In this way, and other ways, the book reads like YA; that's not meant to be taken as a slur, just a statement. I did feel like Thornton had some good moments of writing appealing to a more mature audience as well. The author excelled in helping me visualize modern day China and also even a bit of historical China.
Overall, a good read, particularly if you play tennis, or have knowledge of the game.
All that aside, I enjoyed the story. I just loved the young boy, Chase, who was aching from so much trauma in his young life and then is abandoned on a continent thousands of miles away from his home, family, and friends. The characters in the book who seem so villainous, initially, are seen in a different light as we learn their deeper layers and what makes them tick. Chase, being a typical teenager, saw situations as black or white. His mentor in the book, helps him to see there are many shades of gray. In this way, and other ways, the book reads like YA; that's not meant to be taken as a slur, just a statement. I did feel like Thornton had some good moments of writing appealing to a more mature audience as well. The author excelled in helping me visualize modern day China and also even a bit of historical China.
Overall, a good read, particularly if you play tennis, or have knowledge of the game.
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