Xu Sanguan, a cart pusher in a silk mill, augments his paltry wages with visits to the local blood chief in this novel about life, loss, strength, and the ties which his blood strengthens.
When he finds out that his eldest son is born of a liaison between his wife and a neighbour, his world literally falls apart. His family heads towards the brink of breaking up but he finds the strength in his conscience, his family and ultimately, blood ties.
It is a book of intense emotions, raw honesty, and an uncommon compassion in a time of poverty, uprising and revolution in China, which makes it a compelling and rewarding read.
4 out of 5 for its depiction of complexities of "simple life" in rural China.
