

4⭐️ Really liked how this dual-timeline novel was executed. A very chunky book, but definitely worth the read. #2025 #genremashup #historicalfiction #contemporaryfiction #literary #romance
4⭐️ Really liked how this dual-timeline novel was executed. A very chunky book, but definitely worth the read. #2025 #genremashup #historicalfiction #contemporaryfiction #literary #romance
A sweeping novel that follows childhood friends Haiwen & Suchi, whose love is torn apart by war. As they each navigate famine, survival, and political upheaval, life moves forward—until decades later, in LA, Haiwen sees his Suchi. Told through dual perspectives—Haiwen‘s story moving backward and Suchi‘s story moving forward—this heartbreaking and hopeful story will stay with me for a long time. The dual narration on audio was excellent. ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
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One thread of this story goes from the past to the present, and the other from present to past; the effect is like a beautiful tapestry, where all moments of time are woven together. It made me cry more than any book has for quite awhile. Full of longing, full of life, full of love. #BOTM
About halfway through this chunkster - it‘s over 17 hours on audio. I‘m enjoying it so far. The writing is immersive, and the audio is dual narrated. One side of the story being told from present day backward, and the other side being told from the past forward. I assume where the stories meet will hold the choice that altered the course of their lives. ❤️📚🎧
The story is beautifully told from 1947 forward and back to 2008. It starts in Shanghai with both Suchi and Haiwen bound in friendship and love but separated through war. They happen upon each other 20 years later in Hong Kong and 40 years later in LA. The book is rich in language from Shanghainese, Taiwanese, Mandarin, and English - even as an English written story.