Early on in this moving novel, mother Meilin is telling son Renshu a story based on a treasured scroll of images she carries with them. The moral of the story--like so many stories, both real & fiction--is this: "Within every misfortune there is a blessing, and with every blessing the seeds of misfortune. And so it goes, until the end of time." This sentiment describes every moment of this expansive, emotional novel.

Taking place over 8 decades, this story follows Meilin and Renshu as they travel through China, Taiwan, and beyond during the Chinese/Japanese War, China's Civil War, and the mass exodus from Taiwan. Themes of tragedy, hardship, love, family, and survival abound. While paced differently in various parts of the novel, I never felt that the story lagged or went too quickly: The characters are too vivid and engaging for that. Meilin, the definition of sacrifice, wants nothing more than for her son to survive and thrive, which he does, once he goes from Taiwan to Northwestern University to study engineering. Yet he's still tortured by the tenuous nature of an immigrant man living in another country. As time moves on and events unfurl, the mother and son bond is stretched as, due to circumstances beyond their control, and the two are separated for long periods of time. But, through it all, the love and devotion these two share, doesn't waver. And, although she comes in later in the novel, Lily, Henry's daughter, is equally well-rendered. Yes, tragedy--sometimes rather ugly tragedy at that--befalls this family frequently, yet the promise of nirvana, or "peach blossom spring" as one of Meilin's stories calls it, keeps them going. As they live their lives, the moments of happiness and ease of mind come with tragedy, heartbreak, and sorrow. While fiction, this glorious novel gets that part of the human experience exactly right. Highly recommend!

I listened to parts of the audio of this one, as well. It's wonderful. Eugenia Low does a wonderful job bringing all of these vital characters to life. Thanks to @HachetteAudio for the free @Librofm copy for an honest review.