The book is focused on the second period: very eventful and increasingly difficult.

As difficult, as you will find it to remain indifferent towards this book: judging by the reviews, it's a "hate it or love it" piece. Maybe, it's the historically intensive narrative that is to blame, or the dissonant serenity that the author manages to preserve throughout the most dramatically charged narrative…

In the United States, the novel went through 18 editions and became a huge success. Russian readers compare it rather to the moral-intensive novels by Dickens and Alcott, in which the main characters – the ones we are meant to like, at least – stay infallibly virtuous, spiritual and humble, despite all the troubles they encounter.

We recommend the book to anyone willing to follow through of the most turbulent and tragic periods in the history of China, and to see how is was reflected in the lives of its vulnerable residents.