Peter Hessler went to China as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English in the little town of Fuling in Sichuan province. This book is an account of his two years there, with lengthy anecdotes and insights into the Chinese psyche interspersed with lyrical vignettes of Chinese life.

This book leaves one with a feeling of awe at the power of literature to reach across generations and cultures. So Hessler’s students perform “Shakespeare with Chinese characteristics” and set Don Quixote in rural Fuling. And so too does reading this book make you feel that you are there with him experiencing the bewilderment and beauty of China. I think this book would be a great introduction to a literature class, to encourage an appreciation of the possibilities of literature.

Hessler’s prose is spare and lyrical, with every word carefully chosen. I loved the little vignettes for their ability to draw the reader right into the scene. And I find it amazing how he manages to shimmer from one thought to another effortlessly, drawing ten different conclusions from a single scene.

But his explorations of Chinese psyche, such as the weight of Chinese history on the individual and the effects of the dramatic ongoing changes in Chinese society right now even on the most rural parts of China, are what make this book really interesting to read.

There are snatches of humour too, such as the English names that Hessler’s students choose for themselves. Thus we have a boy named Daisy and a character named Mo Money, who ironically is a member of the Communist Party.

My overall reaction to this book was: wow. This was a great book, leaving a glowing, satisfied feeling afterwards. I read it every morning and evening on the train, and it made a humdrum journey magical by transporting me to a little town in Sichuan. I miss “River Town” already!