A fascinating and intriguing novel with cleverly woven strands, telling several stories with detail and careful elaboration of characters, scenarios and locations. Time-shifting, capturing change and the destruction of war,
strengths and weaknesses, and the power of tradition to influence lives, yet retaining a hopeful and compassionate mood.
Beautiful language revealing surprising events and outcomes, subtle hints and possibilities, yet has the power to keep one reading right to the end to discover the final denouement.
Excellent and highly recommended.

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.