Wang introduces this wonderful book by drawing beautifully conceived, indelible portraits: the boy who wants to be a writer, Picked-Up Feng and his “wife,” Little Jade and Construction’s courting, Bao Bingde's crazy wife, Fifth Grandfather—an old man who wishes he were dead, and Dregs, the little boy who will be his friend. A series of events overtake the village and its inhabitants, allowing Wang to emphasize the value of decency in a largely detached, almost folktale-like, portrayal. The plot revolves primarily around Dregs (the last child of an older couple who exists largely unnoticed by his parents) and Fifth Grandfather, whom he “adopts.” Dregs dies attempting to save the life of Fifth Grandfather during a disastrous flood and when the aspiring novelist reports the story, Dregs becomes a “Youth Hero” and role model for the Communist Party’s propaganda machine. Baotown, previously unaffected by and unaware of national matters (such as the Gang of Four power struggle that is background here), is suddenly squarely in the national eye. Wang's tale is replete with ironies about the way myth and propaganda co-exist in a China at once deeply superstitious and dutifully Communist. This is a delightfully told and thoughtful story; recommended. ( )

The movement of the story-telling is simply haunting. ( )