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勞燕
在牧師比利的故事裡，她是斯塔拉（Stella）；
在美軍伊恩的故事裡，她是溫德（Wind）；
在同村劉兆虎的故事裡，她是姚歸燕，或者阿燕。
假若這三個男人各自的生活是三個圓，
那麼她，
就是這三個圓的交會點。
「假若沒有那場戰爭，這個叫姚歸燕的女孩子，會慢慢地長大，長成一個美麗的女子──我已經從她的眉眼裡看出了端倪。
可是戰爭的手一抹，就抹亂了世間萬物的自然生長過程。我們都沒時間了，我沒時間逐漸生長愛情，她沒時間悠悠地長成大人……」
本書以三個亡魂追憶往事的方式講述了一個女人坎坷的一生，戰爭把三名男子帶到她的身邊，而和平偏偏又使人分離，徒留遺恨。
張翎以亡靈的訴說，呈現戰爭的凶殘與無情，也通過被戰火摧毀最為嚴重的女主角的成長與成熟，讓我們看到人在面臨災難更迭、命運絕境、黑暗與傷害時，如何迸發出善良的能量與溫暖的同情心，足以照亮千瘡百孔的人生。
在美軍伊恩的故事裡，她是溫德（Wind）；
在同村劉兆虎的故事裡，她是姚歸燕，或者阿燕。
假若這三個男人各自的生活是三個圓，
那麼她，
就是這三個圓的交會點。
「假若沒有那場戰爭，這個叫姚歸燕的女孩子，會慢慢地長大，長成一個美麗的女子──我已經從她的眉眼裡看出了端倪。
可是戰爭的手一抹，就抹亂了世間萬物的自然生長過程。我們都沒時間了，我沒時間逐漸生長愛情，她沒時間悠悠地長成大人……」
本書以三個亡魂追憶往事的方式講述了一個女人坎坷的一生，戰爭把三名男子帶到她的身邊，而和平偏偏又使人分離，徒留遺恨。
張翎以亡靈的訴說，呈現戰爭的凶殘與無情，也通過被戰火摧毀最為嚴重的女主角的成長與成熟，讓我們看到人在面臨災難更迭、命運絕境、黑暗與傷害時，如何迸發出善良的能量與溫暖的同情心，足以照亮千瘡百孔的人生。
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 932 reviews
December 3, 2020
4 stars for a literary fiction book that is a story of how WWII affected 4 people in a small village in China. This book was written in Chinese and translated into English. The translation is excellent.
It is a love story of 3 men, American soldier Ian Ferguson, American missionary/doctor Pastor Billy and local soldier Liu Zhaohu, all of whom fall in love with Ah Yan, also known as Swallow. Pastor Billy calls her Stella, Ian calls her Wende. and Liu calls her Yao Ah Yan "Swallow."
Pastor Billy teaches her enough medical skills so that she can become a rural doctor. I don't want to go into spoiler territory, but there is rape in this story and it affects how these 3 people relate to each other.The story is told from the viewpoints of the three men in flashbacks. The 3 men come together after they are dead as ghosts.
If you like fiction with a strong woman protagonist, you should like this story. It was an Amazon eBook.
Some quotes:
"Ah Yan had laughed at how my father spoke as if fog really had substance. My father had tapped her head with his bamboo chopsticks, and said, “You don’t believe me? Well, people eat dogs, dogs eat shit, and tea leaves eat fog. Look at all the good tea leaves around the world and tell me, which does not come from a misty mountain?”
"Time is a miraculous thing. It can wear down the thorns of emotion, gradually eroding them to dust, and from this dust, a new sprout grows."
"The sunflowers were full and solid, each golden face looking like a woman who knows how to flirt, free of bashfulness, turned to look at the sky. Everything was golden that day—the rows of finely scattered clouds on the horizon, the bees buzzing on the open flowers, the butterflies flitting through the forest, and the dew clinging to each leaf. I closed my eyes, imprinting the golden memory on my mind as I breathed in the golden breeze. When I opened my eyes again, I suddenly noticed a figure wearing a golden straw hat in the heart of the sunflower forest. "
It is a love story of 3 men, American soldier Ian Ferguson, American missionary/doctor Pastor Billy and local soldier Liu Zhaohu, all of whom fall in love with Ah Yan, also known as Swallow. Pastor Billy calls her Stella, Ian calls her Wende. and Liu calls her Yao Ah Yan "Swallow."
Pastor Billy teaches her enough medical skills so that she can become a rural doctor. I don't want to go into spoiler territory, but there is rape in this story and it affects how these 3 people relate to each other.The story is told from the viewpoints of the three men in flashbacks. The 3 men come together after they are dead as ghosts.
If you like fiction with a strong woman protagonist, you should like this story. It was an Amazon eBook.
Some quotes:
"Ah Yan had laughed at how my father spoke as if fog really had substance. My father had tapped her head with his bamboo chopsticks, and said, “You don’t believe me? Well, people eat dogs, dogs eat shit, and tea leaves eat fog. Look at all the good tea leaves around the world and tell me, which does not come from a misty mountain?”
"Time is a miraculous thing. It can wear down the thorns of emotion, gradually eroding them to dust, and from this dust, a new sprout grows."
"The sunflowers were full and solid, each golden face looking like a woman who knows how to flirt, free of bashfulness, turned to look at the sky. Everything was golden that day—the rows of finely scattered clouds on the horizon, the bees buzzing on the open flowers, the butterflies flitting through the forest, and the dew clinging to each leaf. I closed my eyes, imprinting the golden memory on my mind as I breathed in the golden breeze. When I opened my eyes again, I suddenly noticed a figure wearing a golden straw hat in the heart of the sunflower forest. "
February 2, 2023
2 "a most interesting plot mired in UGH" stars !!!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and translator, as well as Amazon Crossing for an e-copy. This was originally released in Chinese in 2017 and the English translation was released October 2020.
This could have been an epic and beautiful saga. Three men in 1940s Yuehu China love one teenage girl who is a bit too noble and sacrificed way too much. Two of the men are Americans, a missionary doctor and an army special ops trainer who trains the Chinese to sabotage the Japanese. The third man is a childhood friend (of the ever beloved and ever noble girl) and officer in training There is so much here and if written well could have been a cinematic masterpiece.
Instead we have:
-the author could have easily made the teenage girl a young woman (this felt rather icky )
-the constant sacrificing of this girl felt a bit like Sade's Justine
-the writing was at best middling but only in certain sections and the rest was less so
-the spoonfeeding of this happened and this happened and this happened felt extremely longwinded and times sleep-inducing
-constant moralizing and the nobility of all the heros' actions felt superficial and false
-there was often a very cloying sweet sentimentality that cheapened a most arresting plot
-magical realism that mostly didn't work especially anthropomorphic dogs that communicate to each other from the dead and the three mens' ghosts telling the story and filling in many details...these devices felt lazy and ineffective
What prevented this from being in the one star category and me resorting to pinching myself was a well constructed plot that in better hands could have made this book zing and sing rather than mostly make me moan and groan....
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and translator, as well as Amazon Crossing for an e-copy. This was originally released in Chinese in 2017 and the English translation was released October 2020.
This could have been an epic and beautiful saga. Three men in 1940s Yuehu China love one teenage girl who is a bit too noble and sacrificed way too much. Two of the men are Americans, a missionary doctor and an army special ops trainer who trains the Chinese to sabotage the Japanese. The third man is a childhood friend (of the ever beloved and ever noble girl) and officer in training There is so much here and if written well could have been a cinematic masterpiece.
Instead we have:
-the author could have easily made the teenage girl a young woman (this felt rather icky )
-the constant sacrificing of this girl felt a bit like Sade's Justine
-the writing was at best middling but only in certain sections and the rest was less so
-the spoonfeeding of this happened and this happened and this happened felt extremely longwinded and times sleep-inducing
-constant moralizing and the nobility of all the heros' actions felt superficial and false
-there was often a very cloying sweet sentimentality that cheapened a most arresting plot
-magical realism that mostly didn't work especially anthropomorphic dogs that communicate to each other from the dead and the three mens' ghosts telling the story and filling in many details...these devices felt lazy and ineffective
What prevented this from being in the one star category and me resorting to pinching myself was a well constructed plot that in better hands could have made this book zing and sing rather than mostly make me moan and groan....
August 22, 2021
I picked up this book as I like historical fiction and the story was of a kind I had not read before. The story traces the lives of a few principal characters from the time of the Second World War in China, and is certainly very different from any I have read.
The narrative is from the viewpoints of three men – Pastor Billy (an American missionary & doctor), Ian Ferguson (an American soldier fighting the Japanese) and Liu Zhaohu (part of local resistance working with the American forces). The story starts with a promise each made to the others that they would all meet even as spirits when they pass. And that is how they relate their stories of the past many years. After the initial sections, the character of a woman who each of the three refer by different names – Ah Yan (for Zhaohu), Wende (for Ian) and Stella (for Pastor Billy) looms large. All three get to be close to her and each of them have something in mind for the future. These are challenging times under Japanese occupation and life is especially difficult for Ah Yan. The story traces the events from the time of the war till the death of the key characters.
Somehow, I never felt close to the characters in the story. The writing came across as if they were enacting a contrived plot entirely mechanically. Just maybe the translation contributed to that. But, I suspect that can only be part of the reason.
I realize most other reviews are more favourable than mine. There are some instances when a book seems to speak differently to you than to many others. This is one such instance.
The narrative is from the viewpoints of three men – Pastor Billy (an American missionary & doctor), Ian Ferguson (an American soldier fighting the Japanese) and Liu Zhaohu (part of local resistance working with the American forces). The story starts with a promise each made to the others that they would all meet even as spirits when they pass. And that is how they relate their stories of the past many years. After the initial sections, the character of a woman who each of the three refer by different names – Ah Yan (for Zhaohu), Wende (for Ian) and Stella (for Pastor Billy) looms large. All three get to be close to her and each of them have something in mind for the future. These are challenging times under Japanese occupation and life is especially difficult for Ah Yan. The story traces the events from the time of the war till the death of the key characters.
Somehow, I never felt close to the characters in the story. The writing came across as if they were enacting a contrived plot entirely mechanically. Just maybe the translation contributed to that. But, I suspect that can only be part of the reason.
I realize most other reviews are more favourable than mine. There are some instances when a book seems to speak differently to you than to many others. This is one such instance.
September 21, 2020
This novel translated from Chinese, tells of the life of a young woman variously known as Yao Ah Yan ('swallow'), Wende and Stella during the Japanese occupation of China during WW2 and during the early days of communism. During her life she was loved by three very different men who ultimately left her. These three men, Liu Zhaohu, Pastor Billy, a medically trained missionary and American gunner Ian Ferguson came together briefly for a few months at an American training camp and on the day of the Japanese surrender, pledged that after their deaths their ghosts would return annually on that day until all three could meet again. The events are therefore related by their ghosts as they look back at their lives and their time with Ah Yan.
Although we only see Ah Yan's through the three men, she clearly grew to be a strong and compassionate woman who not only survived the loss of her father and their tea plantation during bombing by the Japanese, but also brutal abuse by Japanese soldiers. Taken in by Pastor Billy, she gradually healed and helped Billy with his patients. At the training camp she met Ian Ferguson and later re-encountered Liu Zhaohu when he was selected for training. All three men intended to look after her, but ultimately all of them failed, leaving her to make her own way as communism arrived in her village.
Although this is a story that unfolded slowly, I was happy for the lovely writing and translation to take me along on Ah Yan's journey and that of the three very different men. I was also fasicnated in learning about a different aspect of WW2 and enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions of the surrounding countryside, Chinese culture and village life before and during WW2, as well as the work of the missionary and the American training camp teaching guerrilla warfare to local soldiers.
With thanks to Amazon Crossing and Netgalley for a digital copy of the book to read.
Although we only see Ah Yan's through the three men, she clearly grew to be a strong and compassionate woman who not only survived the loss of her father and their tea plantation during bombing by the Japanese, but also brutal abuse by Japanese soldiers. Taken in by Pastor Billy, she gradually healed and helped Billy with his patients. At the training camp she met Ian Ferguson and later re-encountered Liu Zhaohu when he was selected for training. All three men intended to look after her, but ultimately all of them failed, leaving her to make her own way as communism arrived in her village.
Although this is a story that unfolded slowly, I was happy for the lovely writing and translation to take me along on Ah Yan's journey and that of the three very different men. I was also fasicnated in learning about a different aspect of WW2 and enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions of the surrounding countryside, Chinese culture and village life before and during WW2, as well as the work of the missionary and the American training camp teaching guerrilla warfare to local soldiers.
With thanks to Amazon Crossing and Netgalley for a digital copy of the book to read.
November 4, 2020
I’m not much of a “themed” reader (not deliberately anyway), so I consider it pure coincidence that I happened to pick up this book to read the day before Halloween. To clarify, this book is not a “spooky” read by any means, neither is it any genre even remotely related to this holiday – rather, the “coincidence” I am referring to is the fact that this story is narrated entirely by “ghosts.” Actually, to put it more precisely, from the moment the story opens in 2015, the 3 main characters – American missionary Pastor Billy, Chinese solider Liu Zhaohu, and gunner’s mate Ian Ferguson – are already dead. Pastor Billy died 70 years ago (in 1945), Liu Zhaohu joined him 18 years later (in 1963), and together, they waited another 52 years before Ian Ferguson was able to join them on that exact date -- August 15th, 2015. Now, before anyone starts chiding me for supposedly revealing “spoilers,” let me just say that all of the above is already revealed within the first few pages of the book – to that point, the entire basis of the story harkens back to a pact that the 3 men made on that day in 1945 when Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced (via radio broadcast) Japan’s surrender to Allied Forces, effectively bringing an end to World War II. Stationed in the small village of Yuehu, China at the time of the announcement, the 3 men make a pledge on that historic day stipulating that, after their deaths, their souls would return to Yuehu every year on the anniversary of the broadcast – however, due to the 3 of them dying at different times, it isn’t until 70 years later that they are finally able to fulfill the pledge they made so long ago. As the 3 of them come together to reminisce about a war that changed the course of their lives forever, it soon becomes clear that each of their stories is tied to that of one woman whom all of them loved but lost, and it is her life that’s truly the focus here. This woman, whose given name from birth is Yao Guiyan, is simultaneously known to Liu Zhaohu as Ah Yan (or “swallow”), to Pastor Billy as Stella (meaning “star”), and to Ian Ferguson as Wende (transliteration of “wind”). Ah Yan’s impact on these 3 men is profound -- despite the atrocities and suffering she endures in the face of a horrific war, she not only finds the courage to survive, but does so with remarkable grace and humanity. It is through the memories of this extraordinary woman that these 3 “ghosts”, scarred by the lasting effects of war, are able to finally understand the truths of what they experienced and reconcile the regrets of their pasts.
Knowing that the story is set during a time period of immense devastation and tragedy in World War II, I braced myself for a sad and difficult read going into this one – while both of these did ring true (the atrocities committed by the Japanese army were especially hard to read), this also turned out to be a story of resilience, courage, hope, and ultimately, the redemptive power of love, which thankfully helped to balance out the story in the end. I found the structure of the story an interesting one – each chapter is alternately narrated by 3 dead men, with 1 chapter in the middle narrated by 2 dogs (yes, you read that correctly) that also played significant roles in the story. Given this setup, this book definitely doesn’t fit nicely into one category in terms of genre – I felt that this fell more into the historical fiction genre, with elements of magical realism mixed in, which altogether put a unique spin to the story that made this a different reading experience for me. What I liked most though, is that the author Zhang Ling (a Chinese author based in Canada), in experimenting with form and structure, didn’t neglect the cultural elements that are so critical in a story such as this one. I read quite a bit of historical fiction, since it’s one of my favorite genres, and one of the things I always look for is a strong sense of time and place, to the point that I feel transported, as though living the same events alongside the characters. Having said that, when it comes to historical fiction within the context of a culture that I’m familiar with, I’m also a stickler for getting the cultural aspects right -- which I’ll admit I was worried about with this book once I learned that the story was originally written in Chinese and later translated into English. Perhaps because of my background, I understand first-hand how tricky it can be to translate from Chinese to English (plus I’ve read my fair share of poorly translated works over the years) and so this is a particularly sensitive area for me. With this book, while I can’t say that the translation was flawless (because as far as I’m concerned, translations are never 100% perfect), one thing I did appreciate was the effort made to render the cultural elements as authentically as possible. Of course, not having read the original book in Chinese, there’s no way for me to judge the accuracy of the translation word for word, but I am encouraged by the fact that the translator chose to keep Chinese names and phrases intact throughout the story (for example – in Liu Zhaohu’s chapters, the translator could’ve very easily referred to Ah Yan as “Swallow” or their village Sishiyi Bu as “Forty-One Steps Village” but instead, she mentioned the English translation of those words only once as a means of introduction – after that, the Chinese phrases were used for the remainder of the story). In addition, as a whole, I felt that the author did a pretty good job of balancing both the historical events and cultural elements in a way that made the reading experience an immersive one, though admittedly, the chapters involving Liu Zhaohu and Ah Yan as well as how life was like in their ancestral village of Sishiyi Bu were the most engaging for me.
Overall, this was a great story – poignant and heartbreaking in many areas, but also ultimately uplifting. The ending I thought was fitting and definitely got me a bit teary-eyed. My one complaint though (and the main reason why this ended up being 4 stars instead of 5) is that, despite Ah Yan’s story being the most important, we never got to hear her perspective directly. While I feel that the author did a good job of bringing Ah Yan as a character to life through the memories of the 3 men who loved her, I think this would’ve been a much more powerful and emotionally resonant story if we had gotten to hear Ah Yan’s perspective as well, even if it was only 1 chapter or as an epilogue at the end. In skimming through reviews, I know this was a deal-breaker for a few readers and while it wasn’t a huge issue to that extent for me, I can understand why it would’ve affected the reading experience for some. Regardless though, I would still recommend this one as a worthy read, if anything, because of the relative scarcity of WWII-related fiction out in the mainstream nowadays that is either written from the Asian perspective or covers the events that unfolded across the Asian continent during that time period. Much of what happened in China and other Asian countries back then was no less tragic than what had happened in Europe, but in general, is much less talked about outside of Asia. Hopefully more of these stories can be heard in the future.
Received ARC from Amazon Crossing via NetGalley
Knowing that the story is set during a time period of immense devastation and tragedy in World War II, I braced myself for a sad and difficult read going into this one – while both of these did ring true (the atrocities committed by the Japanese army were especially hard to read), this also turned out to be a story of resilience, courage, hope, and ultimately, the redemptive power of love, which thankfully helped to balance out the story in the end. I found the structure of the story an interesting one – each chapter is alternately narrated by 3 dead men, with 1 chapter in the middle narrated by 2 dogs (yes, you read that correctly) that also played significant roles in the story. Given this setup, this book definitely doesn’t fit nicely into one category in terms of genre – I felt that this fell more into the historical fiction genre, with elements of magical realism mixed in, which altogether put a unique spin to the story that made this a different reading experience for me. What I liked most though, is that the author Zhang Ling (a Chinese author based in Canada), in experimenting with form and structure, didn’t neglect the cultural elements that are so critical in a story such as this one. I read quite a bit of historical fiction, since it’s one of my favorite genres, and one of the things I always look for is a strong sense of time and place, to the point that I feel transported, as though living the same events alongside the characters. Having said that, when it comes to historical fiction within the context of a culture that I’m familiar with, I’m also a stickler for getting the cultural aspects right -- which I’ll admit I was worried about with this book once I learned that the story was originally written in Chinese and later translated into English. Perhaps because of my background, I understand first-hand how tricky it can be to translate from Chinese to English (plus I’ve read my fair share of poorly translated works over the years) and so this is a particularly sensitive area for me. With this book, while I can’t say that the translation was flawless (because as far as I’m concerned, translations are never 100% perfect), one thing I did appreciate was the effort made to render the cultural elements as authentically as possible. Of course, not having read the original book in Chinese, there’s no way for me to judge the accuracy of the translation word for word, but I am encouraged by the fact that the translator chose to keep Chinese names and phrases intact throughout the story (for example – in Liu Zhaohu’s chapters, the translator could’ve very easily referred to Ah Yan as “Swallow” or their village Sishiyi Bu as “Forty-One Steps Village” but instead, she mentioned the English translation of those words only once as a means of introduction – after that, the Chinese phrases were used for the remainder of the story). In addition, as a whole, I felt that the author did a pretty good job of balancing both the historical events and cultural elements in a way that made the reading experience an immersive one, though admittedly, the chapters involving Liu Zhaohu and Ah Yan as well as how life was like in their ancestral village of Sishiyi Bu were the most engaging for me.
Overall, this was a great story – poignant and heartbreaking in many areas, but also ultimately uplifting. The ending I thought was fitting and definitely got me a bit teary-eyed. My one complaint though (and the main reason why this ended up being 4 stars instead of 5) is that, despite Ah Yan’s story being the most important, we never got to hear her perspective directly. While I feel that the author did a good job of bringing Ah Yan as a character to life through the memories of the 3 men who loved her, I think this would’ve been a much more powerful and emotionally resonant story if we had gotten to hear Ah Yan’s perspective as well, even if it was only 1 chapter or as an epilogue at the end. In skimming through reviews, I know this was a deal-breaker for a few readers and while it wasn’t a huge issue to that extent for me, I can understand why it would’ve affected the reading experience for some. Regardless though, I would still recommend this one as a worthy read, if anything, because of the relative scarcity of WWII-related fiction out in the mainstream nowadays that is either written from the Asian perspective or covers the events that unfolded across the Asian continent during that time period. Much of what happened in China and other Asian countries back then was no less tragic than what had happened in Europe, but in general, is much less talked about outside of Asia. Hopefully more of these stories can be heard in the future.
Received ARC from Amazon Crossing via NetGalley
April 25, 2020
This was a very delicately translated beautiful, but also brutal and explicit story of three men during and at the end of WWII. They all meet up as souls after their deaths to fulfill a pact they made to meet on the anniversary of the end of the war after they have all died. They each tell their stories of how the same woman, Ah Yan, (also known as Stella, Wende, and the Swallow,) touched their lives with love and dignity and each in very different ways.
Ah Yan suffered many horrific and cruel things, and even though she placed her trust in people, over and over she was let down and hurt during her lifetime, but she still had the endurance and grace to perservere and survive through it all.
This book takes a long time to read and digest. It feels like a character study for each of the three men and for the Swallow herself. I do wish there could have been a section about Ah Yan's story, instead of having her being implied, but it still works.
There is also a lot of historical information to read. I started this book, gave up, then restarted again. I am glad I did. It was long, but worth the read. It makes you really think about the book, and in the end, it is a beautiful, thought provoking story.
I would like to thank #Netgalley, Amazon Crossing publishers, and the author Zhang Ling for this advanced eARC, due to be published Oct 1, 2020. All opinions are my own.
A Single Swallow
By Zhang Ling
Published by Amazon Crossing
Publish Date October 1 2020
Ah Yan suffered many horrific and cruel things, and even though she placed her trust in people, over and over she was let down and hurt during her lifetime, but she still had the endurance and grace to perservere and survive through it all.
This book takes a long time to read and digest. It feels like a character study for each of the three men and for the Swallow herself. I do wish there could have been a section about Ah Yan's story, instead of having her being implied, but it still works.
There is also a lot of historical information to read. I started this book, gave up, then restarted again. I am glad I did. It was long, but worth the read. It makes you really think about the book, and in the end, it is a beautiful, thought provoking story.
I would like to thank #Netgalley, Amazon Crossing publishers, and the author Zhang Ling for this advanced eARC, due to be published Oct 1, 2020. All opinions are my own.
A Single Swallow
By Zhang Ling
Published by Amazon Crossing
Publish Date October 1 2020
September 19, 2020
***I have a friend who has this book, so the review is hidden until she reads it so she will not be influenced by what I have written!***
I need to start this off by saying reading translated books are often a crapshoot. Either they are really well done, or they are not. I am not sure my issues with this book are because of the translation or simply because it isn't a great book. One would have to read the book themselves and make their own decision. For me, I am just unsure.
That said, this book is the story of three men who met during the war and made a commitment to meet where they parted in China when they died and so the book opens with the last of these three men dying and their souls finally meeting up to discuss the events of the war and how it left its mark on their lives.
Pastor Billy is an American born missionary, running a clinic and saving the local souls. He has been there for years and not only dresses like a local, can speak the language and knows the people and terrain well. Ian Ferguson an American soldier, who hearing the US had entered WW2, went and immediately enlisted and was stationed in China, helping them train soldiers to fight off the encroaching Japanese. And then there is Liu Zhaohu, a local soldier, who's story is really much more complex and a lot sadder and more involved than the other two men and you will find that his story takes up a good part of the book. There is a lot to tell in regards to him. And of course what connects the three men is one woman, and their relationship with her, both during the war and afterwards.
One woman whom they each call a different name:
For Liu Zhaohu, she is a Ah Yan, a girl from his village that he was supposed to be married to [and that is all that can be said, because this story is long and complicated and long.
For Ian Ferguson she was Wende, a local Chinese girl whom he fell in love with.
And to Pastor Billy, she was Stella who provided direction to his life, who he taught his trade to and who he also fell in love with.
It becomes apparent that this story though, isn't about these men. It is about the woman. It is really Ah Yan's story [and her many incarnations]. The trouble is, you never, ever hear her voice. You never hear HER side of the story. How she truly felt about all that was going on with and to her. She has absolutely no control over the narrative of her life and what happened. Ever. The story is about how strong she is [and she is amazingly strong] and how much she survives [and survives well, considering], but it’s all relative to serving the men in her life. And how those men each thought they had a claim over her and how they ultimately used her to meet their own needs and ideals and life. And to be honest, it is quite heartbreaking. Even the end is based on these men and what they can get out of the woman they loved.
And I’m not really sure that this worked for me; like I said, it might be the translation, or it just might be that this is very much a story about an amazing woman and in making it about what the men want and get out of it and how her service and sacrifice benefits them, makes me angry. I know that is the way of their culture [even now, women are not always deemed important], but I have recently read books that focus on the women and their stories and I find I like their voices, even in the hardship and sacrifice and willingness to lie down for those around them and I believe that it would have been nice to have some chapters dedicated to Ah Yan's story and her voice. I mean, they let the dogs have a chapter to tell their story [yes, you read that correctly] and it seems to me that Ah Yan is a tad more important than the dogs.
Ultimately, I am giving this three stars and this is why [see above for why its not a higher rating]:
1. I learned things about WW2 that I didn't know. I was unaware that US forces were in China helping them fight off the Japanese and learning about that, even in a limited fashion was fascinating.
2. Ah Yan. My gosh I loved her character. What she survives and overcomes is nothing short of miraculous and she was easily the best character of the book. You can see why these men love her.
3. The character named Snot. He is an oddball and a weirdo and he is a dedicated soldier and friend. Even though he does something not so great, he redeems himself in the end.
4. Ian. Because of the end. When you get to the very end, you will know why.
5. Liu Zhaohu. Because you CAN change your stars.
Towards the end of the book the author writes something that is so profound that I have to include it here:
"Unfortunately, there is no truly innocent person in the world. War is a black cloth that blocks heaven's light, preventing it from shining on the earth, and under its cover, no one can see their own conscience."
Thank you to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I need to start this off by saying reading translated books are often a crapshoot. Either they are really well done, or they are not. I am not sure my issues with this book are because of the translation or simply because it isn't a great book. One would have to read the book themselves and make their own decision. For me, I am just unsure.
That said, this book is the story of three men who met during the war and made a commitment to meet where they parted in China when they died and so the book opens with the last of these three men dying and their souls finally meeting up to discuss the events of the war and how it left its mark on their lives.
Pastor Billy is an American born missionary, running a clinic and saving the local souls. He has been there for years and not only dresses like a local, can speak the language and knows the people and terrain well. Ian Ferguson an American soldier, who hearing the US had entered WW2, went and immediately enlisted and was stationed in China, helping them train soldiers to fight off the encroaching Japanese. And then there is Liu Zhaohu, a local soldier, who's story is really much more complex and a lot sadder and more involved than the other two men and you will find that his story takes up a good part of the book. There is a lot to tell in regards to him. And of course what connects the three men is one woman, and their relationship with her, both during the war and afterwards.
One woman whom they each call a different name:
For Liu Zhaohu, she is a Ah Yan, a girl from his village that he was supposed to be married to [and that is all that can be said, because this story is long and complicated and long.
For Ian Ferguson she was Wende, a local Chinese girl whom he fell in love with.
And to Pastor Billy, she was Stella who provided direction to his life, who he taught his trade to and who he also fell in love with.
It becomes apparent that this story though, isn't about these men. It is about the woman. It is really Ah Yan's story [and her many incarnations]. The trouble is, you never, ever hear her voice. You never hear HER side of the story. How she truly felt about all that was going on with and to her. She has absolutely no control over the narrative of her life and what happened. Ever. The story is about how strong she is [and she is amazingly strong] and how much she survives [and survives well, considering], but it’s all relative to serving the men in her life. And how those men each thought they had a claim over her and how they ultimately used her to meet their own needs and ideals and life. And to be honest, it is quite heartbreaking. Even the end is based on these men and what they can get out of the woman they loved.
And I’m not really sure that this worked for me; like I said, it might be the translation, or it just might be that this is very much a story about an amazing woman and in making it about what the men want and get out of it and how her service and sacrifice benefits them, makes me angry. I know that is the way of their culture [even now, women are not always deemed important], but I have recently read books that focus on the women and their stories and I find I like their voices, even in the hardship and sacrifice and willingness to lie down for those around them and I believe that it would have been nice to have some chapters dedicated to Ah Yan's story and her voice. I mean, they let the dogs have a chapter to tell their story [yes, you read that correctly] and it seems to me that Ah Yan is a tad more important than the dogs.
Ultimately, I am giving this three stars and this is why [see above for why its not a higher rating]:
1. I learned things about WW2 that I didn't know. I was unaware that US forces were in China helping them fight off the Japanese and learning about that, even in a limited fashion was fascinating.
2. Ah Yan. My gosh I loved her character. What she survives and overcomes is nothing short of miraculous and she was easily the best character of the book. You can see why these men love her.
3. The character named Snot. He is an oddball and a weirdo and he is a dedicated soldier and friend. Even though he does something not so great, he redeems himself in the end.
4. Ian. Because of the end. When you get to the very end, you will know why.
5. Liu Zhaohu. Because you CAN change your stars.
Towards the end of the book the author writes something that is so profound that I have to include it here:
"Unfortunately, there is no truly innocent person in the world. War is a black cloth that blocks heaven's light, preventing it from shining on the earth, and under its cover, no one can see their own conscience."
Thank you to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2021
Rape is a recurrent theme in this book, and if the idea of ghosts does not appeal to you, then this one is not for you. Equally, if you believe that every book in the world must follow the famous three act structure and have one protagonist and one antagonist, you'll find other books more suitable (e.g. James Bond and Commando comics, both of which I also love). I don't think these are spoilers.
There's also a passage that I found awkward (I notice others also found it jarring) -- it's about .
Having got all that out of the way: I found myself struggling between slowing down my reading to make the book last longer and gobbling it up faster. I did choose faster more often.
There are many reasons that make this an outstanding work. First of all, the device of a great woman's story told through the eyes of three very different men. Secondly, the idea of a "war epic", as the author has described it, which shows the trauma of war rather than the "adventure for boys" side of it. From this angle alone, it is close to books like Empire of the Sun , How We Disappeared, or Fires on the Plain . (For avoidance of doubt, it does not have anything in common with these other books from a story point of view). Thirdly, this is a book that has a strong feminist viewpoint but the three men, who are each in their own way lesser human beings than the main character, are still very well fleshed out.
There is a lot more that works well -- the commentary on the place and time, which was quite unique, for example. The author even has a small "war action" scene worked in, and it is clear that she could have written a whole book in that genre if she chose to.
There are surprisingly few reviews in litmags, newspapers, etc. but I did find this interview with the author very interesting, and it was great to see this video (which also features the translator).
Empire of the Sun
How We Disappeared
Fires on the Plain
There's also a passage that I found awkward (I notice others also found it jarring) -- it's about .
Having got all that out of the way: I found myself struggling between slowing down my reading to make the book last longer and gobbling it up faster. I did choose faster more often.
There are many reasons that make this an outstanding work. First of all, the device of a great woman's story told through the eyes of three very different men. Secondly, the idea of a "war epic", as the author has described it, which shows the trauma of war rather than the "adventure for boys" side of it. From this angle alone, it is close to books like Empire of the Sun , How We Disappeared, or Fires on the Plain . (For avoidance of doubt, it does not have anything in common with these other books from a story point of view). Thirdly, this is a book that has a strong feminist viewpoint but the three men, who are each in their own way lesser human beings than the main character, are still very well fleshed out.
There is a lot more that works well -- the commentary on the place and time, which was quite unique, for example. The author even has a small "war action" scene worked in, and it is clear that she could have written a whole book in that genre if she chose to.
There are surprisingly few reviews in litmags, newspapers, etc. but I did find this interview with the author very interesting, and it was great to see this video (which also features the translator).
Empire of the Sun
How We Disappeared
Fires on the Plain
January 2, 2021
What an excellent book. I listened to it and the narrator’s voices are incredible and make the story so believable!! Told from the point of view of 3 men and their relationships within one woman. The all have different names for her and each one is in love with her in their own special way. Takes place during WW2 and the Japanese, Chinese and Americans. Somewhat historical fiction but mostly about the 4 characters.
August 25, 2022
«однісінька ластівка» — роман про китай у другій світовій і невдовзі після неї.
тобто не зовсім так. окрім історичної складової, анотація обіцяє ще історію однієї жінки, розказану на три голоси, і вже на цьому місці виникли сумніви, чи точно я правильна авдиторія для книжки, бо мене страшно дратують тексти, у назвах яких є жіночі імена («ластівка» з назви — це ім'я), а у змістах — самі чоловічі історії (кидаю похмурий погляд у бік «сабріни» ніка дрназо й «срди» міленка єрговича).
але ж це книжка жіночого авторства, подумала я. і про культуру, майже мені не відому, подумала я. і так добре вкладається у книжковий челендж від амазону, подумала я. чом би й не спробувати.
отже: якщо вас бісять любовні історії, у яких чоловіки розповідають, що так кохають, так кохають якусь жінку, що готові взяти в неї усе, а потім іще трошки, ця книжка зробить вам багато нервів. якщо вам хочеться дізнатися про життя китайських жінок у хх столітті, ваш голод лишиться непотамованим. якщо вам цікавий китайсько-японський фронт другої світової, тут його трохи є, але базові знання (яких мені бракує) для розуміння контексту не завадять. якщо ви мріяли почитати розлогий діалог двох закоханих песиків, you're in luck — ага, тут є розділ від імені двох песиків, але нема розділу від імені начебто головної героїні, а мені страшно хотілось би почути її думки про оце все.
утім, це добре розказана історія, просто зовсім не така, як мені подобаються.
тобто не зовсім так. окрім історичної складової, анотація обіцяє ще історію однієї жінки, розказану на три голоси, і вже на цьому місці виникли сумніви, чи точно я правильна авдиторія для книжки, бо мене страшно дратують тексти, у назвах яких є жіночі імена («ластівка» з назви — це ім'я), а у змістах — самі чоловічі історії (кидаю похмурий погляд у бік «сабріни» ніка дрназо й «срди» міленка єрговича).
але ж це книжка жіночого авторства, подумала я. і про культуру, майже мені не відому, подумала я. і так добре вкладається у книжковий челендж від амазону, подумала я. чом би й не спробувати.
отже: якщо вас бісять любовні історії, у яких чоловіки розповідають, що так кохають, так кохають якусь жінку, що готові взяти в неї усе, а потім іще трошки, ця книжка зробить вам багато нервів. якщо вам хочеться дізнатися про життя китайських жінок у хх столітті, ваш голод лишиться непотамованим. якщо вам цікавий китайсько-японський фронт другої світової, тут його трохи є, але базові знання (яких мені бракує) для розуміння контексту не завадять. якщо ви мріяли почитати розлогий діалог двох закоханих песиків, you're in luck — ага, тут є розділ від імені двох песиків, але нема розділу від імені начебто головної героїні, а мені страшно хотілось би почути її думки про оце все.
утім, це добре розказана історія, просто зовсім не така, як мені подобаються.
May 17, 2021
Complex
A very complex and moving story of war, lives crossing, misunderstandings, and years passing. There were some interesting twists that I never expected!
A very complex and moving story of war, lives crossing, misunderstandings, and years passing. There were some interesting twists that I never expected!
January 31, 2021
I think thoughts, emotions etc. are often lost during translation. Word choice can make or break a sentence and lead your reader to where you want them to be or....not. Imo, the narrative between the dogs was ridiculous and not needed.
May 11, 2021
3.5, for a unique story with solid literary quality.
Three ghosts narrate a story of a woman they refer to by three different names over the course of a few years in the deep Chinese countryside during WWII.
The premise is interesting, the audio narration and writing is solid, but I struggled with the subject. A woman, whose life is told by 3 men (and 2 dogs!), who never gets to say what her name is or what she feels for each of the three who pay a monumental part in her life - a father figure, the father OF her child, and the father TO her child. Her voice is entirely silent, told only via the lens of the men around her.
Worth a read if only for the value of reading a a great translation about a piece of history and a country and culture of which I know little about.
Three ghosts narrate a story of a woman they refer to by three different names over the course of a few years in the deep Chinese countryside during WWII.
The premise is interesting, the audio narration and writing is solid, but I struggled with the subject. A woman, whose life is told by 3 men (and 2 dogs!), who never gets to say what her name is or what she feels for each of the three who pay a monumental part in her life - a father figure, the father OF her child, and the father TO her child. Her voice is entirely silent, told only via the lens of the men around her.
Worth a read if only for the value of reading a a great translation about a piece of history and a country and culture of which I know little about.
April 7, 2020
On the eve of the surrender of Japan and thus the end of the second World War, three man are sitting toasting in a small village deep into China. One is an American Missionary who is almost 40, the others are almost half his age. One is an American soldier sent there to train Chinese recruits, the other is one of those Chinese who became an expert marksman. They make a solemn vow: when they will die their ghost will return to the village on the anniversary of this victory and wait for the other ghosts.
Soon after one of the ghosts arrives but it takes many decades until the friends are reunited again. They realise that a forth person is missing: the girl they all loved in their own special way. (I think as a father figure, a bosom friend and a lover) They start to tell each other about their lives.
Most time is spend on the life of the young Chinese soldier thus creating the recent history of China. From the days that rural villages had only one scribe and people lacked decent shoes to a son in law who are now professors in America. That is maybe also because the book is written by someone originally from China.
It is translated from the original Chinese into English but the language still oozes foreign origins. Some sentences are real jewels
Although the part told by the dogs is sweet but it does not fit into the concept of a meeting in the 21st century as the dogs tell their ghost story in 1945.
I liked the glimpse into a for me foreign culture and a historic era. The story is divided amongst several people what makes it less easy to identify with one but I liked the Chinese soldier most. It is beautifully written and I liked the ending.
A story you will remember.
Reviewed this novel for Netgalley. It will be published 01 Oct 2020.
Soon after one of the ghosts arrives but it takes many decades until the friends are reunited again. They realise that a forth person is missing: the girl they all loved in their own special way. (I think as a father figure, a bosom friend and a lover) They start to tell each other about their lives.
Most time is spend on the life of the young Chinese soldier thus creating the recent history of China. From the days that rural villages had only one scribe and people lacked decent shoes to a son in law who are now professors in America. That is maybe also because the book is written by someone originally from China.
It is translated from the original Chinese into English but the language still oozes foreign origins. Some sentences are real jewels
Although the part told by the dogs is sweet but it does not fit into the concept of a meeting in the 21st century as the dogs tell their ghost story in 1945.
I liked the glimpse into a for me foreign culture and a historic era. The story is divided amongst several people what makes it less easy to identify with one but I liked the Chinese soldier most. It is beautifully written and I liked the ending.
A story you will remember.
Reviewed this novel for Netgalley. It will be published 01 Oct 2020.
March 27, 2020
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. I am providing an honest review voluntarily.
The premise of the book sounded great. The bones of the story were good, but there were definitely some things I didn't like about the book.
TRIGGER WARNING: bombing, gore, sexual assault, and death of pets
First and foremost, the text was overly descriptive, and and was heavily overburdened by information that was unrelated to the plot. The descriptions were so incredibly detailed that it took me off topic and made it easy for the plot to get lost. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, leading to chapters that were excessively long and kind of boring. The entire story is narrated through the point of view of various characters, including two pet dogs. The chapter with the dogs really lost me. As much as I love dogs, the story being told from their point of view involved complex humanized emotions that wasn't believable.
The entire time I read, I waited to find out what actually happened. The story went from the future and worked backwards, with scattered periods out of order. I found myself often getting distracted, and waiting for something to happen. There was a lot of focus on the status of a woman who was sexually assaulted, and I didn't especially love how it was handled by any of the characters. When the end of the book finally arrived, the final chapter would have been sufficient, except for the presence of an epilogue that was completely unnecessary.
Overall, the book had so much potential, but maybe because it was originally written in a language other than it was translated to, it left something lacking for me.
The premise of the book sounded great. The bones of the story were good, but there were definitely some things I didn't like about the book.
TRIGGER WARNING: bombing, gore, sexual assault, and death of pets
First and foremost, the text was overly descriptive, and and was heavily overburdened by information that was unrelated to the plot. The descriptions were so incredibly detailed that it took me off topic and made it easy for the plot to get lost. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, leading to chapters that were excessively long and kind of boring. The entire story is narrated through the point of view of various characters, including two pet dogs. The chapter with the dogs really lost me. As much as I love dogs, the story being told from their point of view involved complex humanized emotions that wasn't believable.
The entire time I read, I waited to find out what actually happened. The story went from the future and worked backwards, with scattered periods out of order. I found myself often getting distracted, and waiting for something to happen. There was a lot of focus on the status of a woman who was sexually assaulted, and I didn't especially love how it was handled by any of the characters. When the end of the book finally arrived, the final chapter would have been sufficient, except for the presence of an epilogue that was completely unnecessary.
Overall, the book had so much potential, but maybe because it was originally written in a language other than it was translated to, it left something lacking for me.
dnf
June 5, 2022DNF @ 10%
This is an interesting premise, but I wasn't able to sink into the story. Perhaps it's a product of the translation, but I didn't care for the way the story was being told and haven't even touched it in two days. So DNF it is.
This is an interesting premise, but I wasn't able to sink into the story. Perhaps it's a product of the translation, but I didn't care for the way the story was being told and haven't even touched it in two days. So DNF it is.
February 2, 2020
A captivating story of a Chinese woman told through the eyes of three men who enter her life at different times and leave their imprint on her life through their own mistakes, shortcomings and weaknesses.
The three protagonists make a promise to each other that they would meet at a certain spot on a fixed date after their deaths and this story is the story of their memories of life, despite being narrated by “ghosts” the storyline doesn’t seem contrived or amusing in the least.
The narration begins with the account of Liu Zhaohu, who grew up along Ah Yan, a young girl, on her tea plantation in a small village.
He later on enlists in the army against The Japanese invasion abandoning Ah Yan at a crucial time.
The second narrative is that of Pastor Billy, an American missionary living and working as a doctor in China.
His support and protection ensures that Stella, a name he decides for Ah Yan, lives and survives despite the odds against her.
The third is that of Ian Ferguson, a military instructor training soldiers in the war against the Japanese forces.
He meets Ah Yan through Pastor Billy and falls in love with her.
The story is about Ah Yan as she struggles and grapples with the challenges of life and has her trust broken again and again despite having loved unconditionally.
The transformation of Ah Yan over the years is beautifully depicted and so are the depth and range of the emotions of those who loved and lost her and in many ways themselves too.
Loved the flowery language and the vivid description of places.
Despite being a translation, I can say the charm of this book has not been lost in translation.
.
Thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.
To be published 15 September 2020 By Amazon Crossing.
The three protagonists make a promise to each other that they would meet at a certain spot on a fixed date after their deaths and this story is the story of their memories of life, despite being narrated by “ghosts” the storyline doesn’t seem contrived or amusing in the least.
The narration begins with the account of Liu Zhaohu, who grew up along Ah Yan, a young girl, on her tea plantation in a small village.
He later on enlists in the army against The Japanese invasion abandoning Ah Yan at a crucial time.
The second narrative is that of Pastor Billy, an American missionary living and working as a doctor in China.
His support and protection ensures that Stella, a name he decides for Ah Yan, lives and survives despite the odds against her.
The third is that of Ian Ferguson, a military instructor training soldiers in the war against the Japanese forces.
He meets Ah Yan through Pastor Billy and falls in love with her.
The story is about Ah Yan as she struggles and grapples with the challenges of life and has her trust broken again and again despite having loved unconditionally.
The transformation of Ah Yan over the years is beautifully depicted and so are the depth and range of the emotions of those who loved and lost her and in many ways themselves too.
Loved the flowery language and the vivid description of places.
Despite being a translation, I can say the charm of this book has not been lost in translation.
.
Thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.
To be published 15 September 2020 By Amazon Crossing.
October 2, 2021
Set in China during World War II and after, this historical fiction gives us a great sense of place, time, and people. The storyline revolves around Ah Yan also referred to as Stella and Wende and three men who knew each other and were part of her life - Liu Zhaohu, Ian Ferguson, and Pastor Billy. The three men made a pact on the day Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender. They pledged that after they died, they would meet on every anniversary of that historic day in the Chinese village where they had waged war. The souls or ghosts of the three men take turns with the chapters of the book guiding the progress of the story. Since each man dies at a different age, it’s seventy years later before they are all together again. The focus of their story is Ah Yan and through their eyes we get to learn about the courageous, resilient, and strong woman that she is despite the horrific and sad circumstances of her life, and why each man was drawn to her. I enjoyed the book and loved the way the ghosts/souls of the three men were the conduit to narrating the story. Very nicely done!
October 27, 2020
This was a fantastically detailed look at wartime China under Japanese occupation during the Second World War. Ling Zhang writes with such evocative detail that I read this slower than normal.
In many ways, it reminded me of Kuvempu’s ‘The House Of Kanooru,’ in the rich detail. The tapestry of life in rural China is woven with such care that I almost felt like each word was a gift. What really drew me in, though, was the fierce feminism - this is the story of three men whose paths all cross together and one woman who is affected by all of their actions. It’s a story of missed lines, compassion, courage, and excruciating pain.
Zhang gives everyone a voice - except for the woman, Ah Yan. She has no voice, silenced, yet her silence is the most powerful. The narrative structure can make you a little dizzy and slow you down, but I think the reward is worth it. This is not a book to be added to our Read List but one to be added to our Understanding List.
In many ways, it reminded me of Kuvempu’s ‘The House Of Kanooru,’ in the rich detail. The tapestry of life in rural China is woven with such care that I almost felt like each word was a gift. What really drew me in, though, was the fierce feminism - this is the story of three men whose paths all cross together and one woman who is affected by all of their actions. It’s a story of missed lines, compassion, courage, and excruciating pain.
Zhang gives everyone a voice - except for the woman, Ah Yan. She has no voice, silenced, yet her silence is the most powerful. The narrative structure can make you a little dizzy and slow you down, but I think the reward is worth it. This is not a book to be added to our Read List but one to be added to our Understanding List.
January 29, 2020
This novel has a great concept driving how the story unfolds--3 comrades who survived the end of WW2 in China and heard the Japanese emperor's surrender on the radio meet back in their former village from beyond the grave after the final man dies. Primarily in the voices of the three friends, the life story of a young Chinese woman is told by the three men who loved her.
TW for some seriously brutal sexual assault scenes and rampant misogyny even from her allies, and there's one weird chapter in the middle told from the POVs of two pet dogs. Weird and not my favorite choice on behalf of the author, but not bad enough to ruin the book for me. In general, I think it was an interesting and significant choice to use all these other (male) narrators to tell the life story of a strong, determined woman who survived so much in her life. Poignant that the reader never gets to hear Ah Yan's story in her own voice.
I gather this author is a bestselling novelist in contemporary China--I hope more of her books get translated into English. I would gladly read more from her.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW for some seriously brutal sexual assault scenes and rampant misogyny even from her allies, and there's one weird chapter in the middle told from the POVs of two pet dogs. Weird and not my favorite choice on behalf of the author, but not bad enough to ruin the book for me. In general, I think it was an interesting and significant choice to use all these other (male) narrators to tell the life story of a strong, determined woman who survived so much in her life. Poignant that the reader never gets to hear Ah Yan's story in her own voice.
I gather this author is a bestselling novelist in contemporary China--I hope more of her books get translated into English. I would gladly read more from her.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2020
Much as I wanted to identify with this story of magic realism set in a Chinese village after 1945. Othe day World War II, three man make a pact to return to this place after their deaths, on the anniversary of the broadcast of the day the war ended. Seventy years later US missionary Pastor Billy, gunner Ian Ferguson, and Chinese soldier Liu Zhaohu soul's return to that place. Their story involves a woman each man loved--Ah Yan, the Swallow. As they recount their tales, Ah Yan becomes a reality.
I really thought my response would be so much more positive. What's not to be inspired by when the novel is described as portraying the "devastation of war, forgiveness, redemption, and the enduring power of love." I just wasn't engaged. Others obviously were, enough so that perspective readers should probably dip their toe in and see.
An Amazon crossing ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
Goodreads
I really thought my response would be so much more positive. What's not to be inspired by when the novel is described as portraying the "devastation of war, forgiveness, redemption, and the enduring power of love." I just wasn't engaged. Others obviously were, enough so that perspective readers should probably dip their toe in and see.
An Amazon crossing ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
Goodreads
March 20, 2022
4,00
Premetto di essermi approcciata a questa lettura, senza averne mai sentito parlare, ma soprattutto senza neanche conoscerne minimamente la trama, e devo dire che questo libro è riuscito a sorprendermi positivamente.
Per quanto lo stile di scrittura tenda a essere un po' troppo lirico rispetto alle mie preferenze, leggere di come le vite dei protagonisti si sono intrecciati durante la guerra in Cina nella seconda mondiale e come le loro vite abbiano impattato quella Ah Yan, modificandone la storia.
Un libro altamente interessante in quanto raccontato attraverso i punti di vista dei tre protagonisti maschili a posteriori, dopo che tutti e tre si ritrovano nell'oltretomba.
Un libro che a causa delle tematiche trattate può sicuramente risultare pesante a livello emotivo, ma che a mio parere vale la pena di leggere.
Premetto di essermi approcciata a questa lettura, senza averne mai sentito parlare, ma soprattutto senza neanche conoscerne minimamente la trama, e devo dire che questo libro è riuscito a sorprendermi positivamente.
Per quanto lo stile di scrittura tenda a essere un po' troppo lirico rispetto alle mie preferenze, leggere di come le vite dei protagonisti si sono intrecciati durante la guerra in Cina nella seconda mondiale e come le loro vite abbiano impattato quella Ah Yan, modificandone la storia.
Un libro altamente interessante in quanto raccontato attraverso i punti di vista dei tre protagonisti maschili a posteriori, dopo che tutti e tre si ritrovano nell'oltretomba.
Un libro che a causa delle tematiche trattate può sicuramente risultare pesante a livello emotivo, ma che a mio parere vale la pena di leggere.
January 10, 2022
But neither Stella nor Wende are her real name. When you examine these names, the selfishness of the people who call her by them becomes clear.
The story is unique and amazing!
I have a soft spot for these types of novels; how many lives intertwine becoming a domino effect of good and bad and the different ways one is perceived to another. That may contribute to my rating being a bit higher than most, even though I found many faults in the novel but I still considered it an amazing read that had me crying and angry at the world.
The story revolves around one girl, a mother, a doctor, a caregiver, a woman. Her name is changed throughout the story to please the image each of the men have of her, Stella for Pastor Billy, Wende by Ian and Ah Yan the one she was born with, reminding Liu Zhaohu what he was running away from yet still would find a way back reminding her of the past.
The story is told by these 3 men, all who believe to have a claim over her and in some way become her "savior" (more like using her as a way to save themselves). Each one of them is selfish in many ways some taking more than others, they start off as something "selfless" only to become greedy expecting more from her.
Did she love these men, a big part of me believes she did in different ways some more as a paternal, brotherly love and another as a lover but life taught her to proceed with caution.
At first, I started off by liking the men only to later become disappointed in the actions that proceeded them... They are not bad people, it's just they are very much men, hardheaded, and easy to misinterpret.
🛑🛑SPOILERS🛑🛑
The guys aren't all bad and I believe they realized the mistakes they made and in a way that became their biggest regret.
The novel itself is a great example of how each person we know/meet takes a part of us, and life!
November 10, 2020
“When I was small, my mother told me that every star in the sky was once a person on the ground.”
“A Single Swallow” by Ling Zhang is a sprawling, lyrical novel replete with such shimmering lines. The story is told from the unique perspective of the recollections of three ghosts. We follow the narratives of gunner Ian, Pastor Billy, and soldier Liu Zhaohu as they talk about their lives, aspirations, families, relationships, and the war they are caught in. Their narratives are anchored by Ah Yan, “meaning ‘swallow,’” the only significant woman in the novel and the one they all loved. On the surface, these are the themes in the book. But to me this book is first and foremost about women.
Brutality, poverty, and loss are all by products of any war. But the Japanese occupation of China during WWII is exceptionally harrowing with terrible atrocities done to women and the extreme level of dehumanisation that people suffered. Ah Yan is one of those women who undergoes humiliation and violence not just at the hands of the Japanese but also from her own people. In a powerful representation of the obliteration of women, Zhang does not give Ah Yan a voice. We never know her from her own words except from conversations she has with the men.
Yet, cutting through all the cries of pain are luminous passages of beauty and tenderness like the sweet warbling of swallows. Pastor Billy’s immense kindness and Ah Yan symbolise the hope and strength that remain at the core when everything else is whittled away. This is a slow burn of a novel, which could have been shorter and tighter. I am not complaining though. Shelly Bryant’s atmospheric translation is brilliant and so is the sweep the book accommodates. Here’s a passage that best describes the beauty of the book and the lightness it eventually left me with.
“Not long after the harvest had begun, the rain stopped. The clouds split into a series of tiles, which then broke into fish scales that were blown away in the breeze. Suddenly, the sky was clear and beads of water glistened on the tea trees.”
“A Single Swallow” by Ling Zhang is a sprawling, lyrical novel replete with such shimmering lines. The story is told from the unique perspective of the recollections of three ghosts. We follow the narratives of gunner Ian, Pastor Billy, and soldier Liu Zhaohu as they talk about their lives, aspirations, families, relationships, and the war they are caught in. Their narratives are anchored by Ah Yan, “meaning ‘swallow,’” the only significant woman in the novel and the one they all loved. On the surface, these are the themes in the book. But to me this book is first and foremost about women.
Brutality, poverty, and loss are all by products of any war. But the Japanese occupation of China during WWII is exceptionally harrowing with terrible atrocities done to women and the extreme level of dehumanisation that people suffered. Ah Yan is one of those women who undergoes humiliation and violence not just at the hands of the Japanese but also from her own people. In a powerful representation of the obliteration of women, Zhang does not give Ah Yan a voice. We never know her from her own words except from conversations she has with the men.
Yet, cutting through all the cries of pain are luminous passages of beauty and tenderness like the sweet warbling of swallows. Pastor Billy’s immense kindness and Ah Yan symbolise the hope and strength that remain at the core when everything else is whittled away. This is a slow burn of a novel, which could have been shorter and tighter. I am not complaining though. Shelly Bryant’s atmospheric translation is brilliant and so is the sweep the book accommodates. Here’s a passage that best describes the beauty of the book and the lightness it eventually left me with.
“Not long after the harvest had begun, the rain stopped. The clouds split into a series of tiles, which then broke into fish scales that were blown away in the breeze. Suddenly, the sky was clear and beads of water glistened on the tea trees.”
January 27, 2021
A beautiful prose with grace and agony. Set in China after World War 2, Ah Yan a young Chinese woman who was betrayed in different ways by 3 different men, overcame it all. Ah Yan in their betrayal redeemed each man differently. She was quiet but powerful. A woman of many contradictions. Liu Zhaohu whom she grew up with and whom she loved dearly, had his young mind set on his country and left Ah Yan in disgrace. American missionary Pastor Billy, who rescued Ah Yan and with good intentions kept her from love and Ian Ferguson who saved Ah Yan in ways without realizing it.
The brutality of war and love don't always mix but there is a redeeming quality that pulled me in. The descriptive narrative and the character development cultivated struggle of survival. The strength of a woman is something to behold when done in humility. The historical part of China is interesting but it is those behind it that make an impact. A story that will stay with you.
A special thank you to Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
January 31, 2023
This is a fascinating book, set primarily in China during the second world war, and afterwards. It is a story of love and separation. It is mostly a story about three men and a woman and the relationship of each of those men with the woman and to some extent with each other.
It is always impressive to me when a book can be written in another language, and then successfully translated into English carrying with it a good deal of the original content apparently. This is a book filled with emotion.
It is always impressive to me when a book can be written in another language, and then successfully translated into English carrying with it a good deal of the original content apparently. This is a book filled with emotion.
September 6, 2020
Love
Loved this book, even though it hurt my heart and I felt some parts was missing. It touches the many ways that one can love
Loved this book, even though it hurt my heart and I felt some parts was missing. It touches the many ways that one can love
June 5, 2023
Ratings:
Writing 5
Story line 4
Characters 5
Impact 5
Overall rating 4.75
Writing 5
Story line 4
Characters 5
Impact 5
Overall rating 4.75
October 1, 2021
In 1945, the Emperor of Japan announced the countries surrender to the allied forces and the war in the Pacific was finally over. Three men in a Chinese village make a promise, they survived the long war years, after their deaths, their souls would return to the village of Yuehu on the anniversary of the surrender.
William de Royer-Macmillan, a minister and doctor, Ian Ferguson a gunner’s mate in the American Navy and local soldier and her childhood friend Liu Zhaohu. The men all knew a girl who grew into a woman, and her name was Ah Yan. She suffered terribly, her father was killed, and her body violated, and with dignity and incredible courage she survived. The ghosts look back at the past, missing is Ah Yan, each of the men loved her and her soul was free from this world.
A Single Swallow is a story a girl called Ah Yah, about the three male ghosts, I'm sorry but I didnt really understand the meaning behind the book and I found it all rather confusing. The positive aspects of the story for me, was doctor Billy saved Ah Yah life, he also taught her about medicine, she could support herself, and return to her village.
William de Royer-Macmillan, a minister and doctor, Ian Ferguson a gunner’s mate in the American Navy and local soldier and her childhood friend Liu Zhaohu. The men all knew a girl who grew into a woman, and her name was Ah Yan. She suffered terribly, her father was killed, and her body violated, and with dignity and incredible courage she survived. The ghosts look back at the past, missing is Ah Yan, each of the men loved her and her soul was free from this world.
A Single Swallow is a story a girl called Ah Yah, about the three male ghosts, I'm sorry but I didnt really understand the meaning behind the book and I found it all rather confusing. The positive aspects of the story for me, was doctor Billy saved Ah Yah life, he also taught her about medicine, she could support herself, and return to her village.
March 28, 2024
I loved this book. It completely transported me to another time and place in a way that not many books do. I love that it's written by a Chinese person, but also, whoever did the translation was phenomenal, because it's poetic in English too, which is very difficult to do. It has interesting characters and some beautiful moments of grace and redemption. The one thing I really didn't like was that they made the main character a teenager, which made her relationships with the 3 men in her life have that ick factor--the author could easily have made her a few years older which in my opinion would have made the story a lot better.
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