This was a quick and easy read, but contains depths. I loved experiencing classic works through the eyes of two “intellectual” late teen characters, sent to the peasant laborer communities of mountainous rural China for reeducation. This book serves as a short history of this difficult time period and is an approachable summary of some of the issues even for someone without any background in the subject. It doesn’t read like a history text, but as a novel - you learn about the daily lives of the two boys and their fears and hopes. I do believe I’ll be thinking about this one for some time, and rather want to add some of the classics they discover to my TBR pile. I doubt they could possibly be the same revelation for me, as I am already familiar with (and a product of) western culture, but the wonder and excitement over their themes is catching.