A love story I could not put down. Not a "romance" novel...a love story. Your heart will ache for the young people of China who are told who to love, where to live, & what to do- and also for the older Chinese citizens who live, hands extended, waiting to catch the tiniest breadcrumbs of reward. Your heart will ache for the author, and Anna, a Chinese girl who dares to buck the system. Tense and scary,and light hearted and uplifting. You feel the lovers' exhaustion at the roller coaster relationship in such a restrictive environment. I have read several books on Chinese history and government, but I learned new things in this book. I read this in one day. I just had to find out how it all ended. If you like books like: Mao's Last Dancer, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Nothing to Envy, Memoirs of a Geisha, Devil in the White City, Remarkable Creatures, Year of Wonders, and Girl With a Pearl Earring, you will enjoy this book!

I started reading one Saturday morning and read until my eyes were too tired to keep going. I got up the next day and was compelled to finish. I laughed, I cried, I was afraid, my heart felt heavy, my heart felt full. I identified with their struggle and was moved. The inside look into China and Chinese life was intriguing. I think this is a story both men and women will enjoy.