About halfway through this I thought I was going to have to give up. It was like wading through words to get anywhere, however I was glad I persevered.

On reflection, it think the book should be read slowly, seeping into your brain, the emotions raw and confusing, because they are so realistic. I read another review which said it would benefit from a family tree, and I wholeheartedly agree. The complexity of the story is so mirrored in the nature of the history of Maoist China. A timeline of contradictions and difficulty, reflected in beautiful writing.

Having spent time in China with the Children of this generation, I found the writing absolutely enthralling and transportational. It is genuinely a work of art. Ai-Ming's story came to life in the last third of the book and turned the book into a real classic. Most people have probably very little understanding of what happened in China from the 1960s onwards, and Thien captured not only the depth and violence, but the beauty and loss. I definitely found the women of the story to be it's beating heart, while Sparrow the bird that we were chasing right to the end.

Really fantastic.. If only it wasn't for the extremely long chapters in the middle where I felt like I was wading through the story it would have been 5 stars.