I enjoyed parts of this book but struggled to really engage with it as it didn't seem to flow well, flitting from one story and character to the next. It is well written but too fragmented for me.

In 1905 Taiwan, owning a bike was like owning a Mercedes. Simple farmers and fishermen coveted a bicycle to call their own, a thih-be (an iron horse) that would carry their harvest or fish to market. Bikes were precious. The theft of an iron horse was reported in the local newspaper. Religious villagers prayed to the Holy King for the safe return of an iron steed. The narrator, Ch'eng, describes the disappearance of his father and his bike in 1993, the day after Chung-Shan Hall Market was torn down. What happened to Ch'eng's father? No body was recovered, therefore, Ch'eng embarks upon a journey to trace the bike's trajectory, find the bike, and perhaps discover why his father disappeared 20 years ago.

What type of bike did Ch'eng's father own? Rattling off brands to his mother, she seemed to remember the name Lucky, a brand produced in Taiwan. "Ride your way to Luck", as the slogan goes. As a young child, Ch'eng was able to view and feel the imprint of serial number #04886 on the tube of the bike's frame. If it could be located, what a find it would be, to sit upon and ride the last bike owned by his father.

In his quest to find the specific iron horse and map out its ownership, Ch'eng received anecdotal information and stories from bike aficionados and others who came in contact with war bicycles. He learned about the dependence on bikes during World War II, the secret world of butterfly collages, the treatment of jungle and zoo animals, as well as the art of antique bicycle collecting. The bike in question, a Lucky Double Tube War Bike was one that could have been used by the Silverheels, a Special Operations Force that focused on long distance and/or jungle riding. Hooks mounted on the back of the bike were used to mount a rifle. A bike could last fifty years or more. In days of old, a man's most cherished possession was his thih-be (war horse). Ch'eng wanted to find Lucky Bike #04886 and restore it using original parts. Rust would be removed, but the scrapes, scratches and dings on the bike denote its character and help tell its story.

"The Stolen Bicycle" by Wu Ming-yi is a factual story, within a fictional framework, for a lost bicycle. The dependence upon iron horses during World War II is explained in detail. The cost of war on Asian elephants and zoo animals is disturbing. Antique bike collectors and their world come to life as well. Wu has crafted an enlightening tome centering on a Lucky bicycle as a vehicle for trying to find closure for a father's disappearance.

Thank you Text Publishing UK and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Stolen Bicycle".

Thank you net Galley. A fascinating book. The author turns a memoir into a history lesson and a conversation on the interface between memory, identity and the world. Highly recommended.