"Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds within one. And translation – a necessary endeavour, however futile, to move between them."

What an ending! I eagerly devoured this and love it in the end, but all throughout I was left wanting further depth to Robin's friends, to silver-working, and to Robin's overall arc. He glimpsed one opium den, and immediately knew the full scope of global imperial horrors. It felt a tad over-puppeteered (I find it hard to word this feeling) but I do see how it pushed along the narrative, kept it tight and fast-paced. Getting our central cohort stuck in Canton would've probably bloated this book to a less-approachable length. I'm willing to overlook most of my gripes because this was so unique, so bold, so readable. Anthropology was one of my first college majors and linguistics has been a lifelong love. I hope more people get ahold of this. Learn a new language! Take your whole life, take a year. Start small, but do start!