Wonderful collection of stories about China and its people
I am grateful to NetGalley, Bookishfirst, Mariner Books, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me an advanced written copy of Land of Big Numbers by Te-Ping Chen to review. It is a wonderful, clever, entertaining and insightful collection of short stories that illustrate diverse Chinese characters living in China under the communist regime and also some Chinese living abroad.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it. Each story is unique, yet all demonstrate the indomitable character of people trying to make the best of the situations in which they find themselves. For example, one story involves a group of passengers who enter a newly constructed, much ballyhooed subway system, only to find themselves stranded inside with no way to leave. How they initially react to the situation and then adapt as time drags on interminably is an interesting psychological character study.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it. Each story is unique, yet all demonstrate the indomitable character of people trying to make the best of the situations in which they find themselves. For example, one story involves a group of passengers who enter a newly constructed, much ballyhooed subway system, only to find themselves stranded inside with no way to leave. How they initially react to the situation and then adapt as time drags on interminably is an interesting psychological character study.