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A missionary doctor and an army special ops trainer who trains the Chinese to sabotage the Japanese The third man is a childhood friend of the ever beloved and ever noble girl and officer in training There is so much here and if written well could have been a cinematic masterpiece Instead we have the author could have easily made the teenage girl a young woman this felt rather icky the constant sacrificing of this girl felt a bit like Sade s Justine the writing was at best middling but only in certain sections and the rest was less so the spoonfeeding of this happened and this happened and this happened felt extremely longwinded and times sleep inducing constant moralizing and the nobility of all the heros actions felt superficial and false there was often a very cloying sweet sentimentality that cheapened a most arresting plot magical realism that mostly didn t work especially anthropomorphic dogs that communicate to each other from the dead and the three mens ghosts telling the story and filling in many detailsthese devices felt lazy and ineffectiveWhat prevented this from being in the one star category and me resorting to pinching myself was a well constructed plot that in better hands couldave made this book zing and sing rather than mostly make me moan and groan Zhang Ling

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Rape is a recurrent theme in this book and if the idea of ghosts does not appeal to you then this one is not for you Equally if you believe that every book in the world must follow the famous three act structure and have one protagonist and one antagonist you ll find other books suitable e. A single swallow synopsis g James Bond and Commando comics both of which I also love I don t think these are spoilers There s also a passage that I found awkward I notice others also found it jarring it s about the ghosts of two dogs which I considered to be two ghosts too many. A single swallow cannot make a summer Having got all that out of the way I found myself struggling between slowing down my reading to make the book last longer and gobbling it up faster I did choose faster often. A single swallowi itch.io There are many reasons that make this an outstanding work First of all the device of a great woman s story told through the eyes of three very different men Secondly the idea of a war epic as the author has described it which shows the trauma of war rather than the adventure for boys side of it From this angle alone it is close to books like Empire of the Sun How We Disappeared or Fires on the Plain For avoidance of doubt it does not have anything in common with these other books from a story point of view Thirdly this is a book that has a strong feminist viewpoint but the three men who are each in their own way lesser human beings than the main character are still very well fleshed out. A single swallowe ending There is a lot that works well the commentary on the place and time which was quite unique for example The author even has a small war action scene worked in and it is clear that she could have written a whole book in that genre if she chose to. Ebook a single swallow kindle There are surprisingly few reviews in litmags newspapers etc but I did find this interview with the author very interesting and it was great to see this video which also features the translator. A single swallow kindle uk Empire of the SunHow We DisappearedFires on the Plain Zhang Ling you re in luck Zhang Ling What an excellent book I listened to it and the narrator s voices are incredible and make the story so believable Told from the point of view of 3 men and their relationships within one woman The all have different names for her and each one is in love with her in their own special way Takes place during WW2 and the Japanese Chinese and Americans Somewhat historical fiction but mostly about the 4 characters Zhang Ling This was a very delicately translated beautiful but also brutal and explicit story of three men during and at the end of WWII They all meet up as souls after their deaths to fulfill a pact they made to meet on the anniversary of the end of the war after they have all died They each tell their stories of how the same woman Ah Yan also known as Stella Wende and the Swallow touched their lives with love and dignity and each in very different ways. Where can i get a swallow test Ah Yan suffered many horrific and cruel things and even though she placed her trust in people over and over she was let down and hurt during her lifetime but she stillad the endurance and grace to perservere and survive through it all. A single swallow kindle free This book takes a long time to read and digest It feels like a character study for each of the three men and for the Swallow herself I do wish there could have been a section about Ah Yan s story instead of havinger being implied but it still works. A single swallow pdf free There is also a lot of historical information to read I started this book gave up then restarted again I am glad I did It was long but worth the read It makes you really think about the book and in the end it is a beautiful thought provoking story. A single swallowe ending A Single SwallowBy Zhang LingPublished by Crossing Publish Date October 1 2020 Zhang Ling I have a friend who has this book so the review is hidden until she reads it so she will not be influenced by what I have written I need to start this off by saying reading translated books are often a crapshoot Either they are really well done or they are not I am not sure my issues with this book are because of the translation or simply because it isn t a great book One would have to read the book themselves and make their own decision For me I am just unsure That said this book is the story of three men who met during the war and made a commitment to meet where they parted in China when they died and so the book opens with the last of these three men dying and their souls finally meeting up to discuss the events of the war and how it left its mark on their lives. A single swallow pdf free Pastor Billy is an American born missionary running a clinic and saving the local souls He has been there for years and not only dresses like a local can speak the language and knows the people and terrain well Ian Ferguson an American soldier who hearing the US had entered WW2 went and immediately enlisted and was stationed in China helping them train soldiers to fight off the encroaching Japanese And then there is Liu Zhaohu a local soldier who s story is really much complex and a lot sadder and involved than the other two men and you will find that his story takes up a good part of the book There is a lot to tell in regards to him And of course what connects the three men is one woman and their relationship wither both during the war and afterwards. A single swallowe epub One woman whom they each call a different name For Liu Zhaohu she is a Ah Yan a girl from his village thate was supposed to be married to and that is all that can be said because this story is long and complicated and long. A single swallow zhang ling For Ian Ferguson she was Wende a local Chinese girl whom he fell in love with And to Pastor Billy she was Stella who provided direction to his life who he taught his trade to and who he also fell in love with It becomes apparent that this story though isn t about these men It is about the woman It is really Ah Yan s story and her many incarnations The trouble is you never ever hear her voice You never hear HER side of the story How she truly felt about all that was going on with and to her She has absolutely no control over the narrative of her life and what happened Ever The story is about how strong she is and she is amazingly strong and how much she survives and survives well considering but it s all relative to serving the men in her life And how those men each thought they had a claim over her and how they ultimately used her to meet their own needs and ideals and life And to be honest it is quite heartbreaking Even the end is based on these men and what they can get out of the woman they loved And I m not really sure that this worked for me like I said it might be the translation or it just might be that this is very much a story about an amazing woman and in making it about what the men want and get out of it and how her service and sacrifice benefits them makes me angry I know that is the way of their culture even now women are not always deemed important but I have recently read books that focus on the women and their stories and I find I like their voices even in the hardship and sacrifice and willingness to lie down for those around them and I believe that it would have been nice to have some chapters dedicated to Ah Yan s story and her voice I mean they let the dogs have a chapter to tell their story yes you read that correctly and it seems to me that Ah Yan is a tad important than the dogs Ultimately I am giving this three stars and this is why see above for why its not a higher rating 1 I learned things about WW2 that I didn t know I was unaware that US forces were in China helping them fight off the Japanese and learning about that even in a limited fashion was fascinating 2 Ah Yan My gosh I loved her character What she survives and overcomes is nothing short of miraculous and she was easily the best character of the book You can see why these men love her 3 The character named Snot He is an oddball and a weirdo and he is a dedicated soldier and friend Even though he does something not so great he redeems himself in the end 4 Ian Because of the end When you get to the very end you will know why 5 Liu Zhaohu Because you CAN change your stars Towards the end of the book the author writes something that is so profound that I have to include it here Unfortunately there is no truly innocent person in the world War is a black cloth that blocks heaven s light preventing it from shining on the earth and under its cover no one can see their own conscience Thank you to NetGalley and Crossing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review Zhang Ling The eagerly awaited English translation of award winning author Zhang Ling s epic and intimate novel about the devastation of war forgiveness redemption and the enduring power of love On the day of the historic 1945 Jewel Voice Broadcast in which Emperor Hirohito announced Japan s surrender to the Allied forces bringing an end to World War II three men flush with jubilation made a pact After their deaths each year on the anniversary of the broadcast their souls would return to the Chinese village of their younger days It s where they had fought and survived a war that shook the world and changed their own lives in unimaginable ways Now seventy years later the pledge is being fulfilled by American missionary Pastor Billy brash gunner s mate Ian Ferguson and local soldier Liu Zhaohu All that s missing is Ah Yan also known as Swallow the girl each man loved each in his own profound way As they unravel their personal stories of the war and of the woman who touched them so deeply during that unforgiving time the story of Ah Yan s life begins to take shape woven into view by their memories A woman who had suffered unspeakable atrocities and yet found the grace and dignity to survive she d been the one to bring them together And it is her spark of humanity still burning brightly that gives these ghosts of the past the courage to look back on everything they endured and remember the woman they lost A Single SwallowI picked up this book as I like historical fiction and the story was of a kind I had not read before The story traces the lives of a few principal characters from the time of the Second World War in China and is certainly very different from any I have read The narrative is from the viewpoints of three men Pastor Billy an American missionary doctor Ian Ferguson an American soldier fighting the Japanese and Liu Zhaohu part of local resistance working with the American forces The story starts with a promise each made to the others that they would all meet even as spirits when they pass And that is how they relate their stories of the past many years After the initial sections the character of a woman who each of the three refer by different names Ah Yan for Zhaohu Wende for Ian and Stella for Pastor Billy looms large All three get to be close to her and each of them have something in mind for the future These are challenging times under Japanese occupation and life is especially difficult for Ah Yan The story traces the events from the time of the war till the death of the key characters Somehow I never felt close to the characters in the story The writing came across as if they were enacting a contrived plot entirely mechanically Just maybe the translation contributed to that But I suspect that can only be part of the reason I realize most other reviews are favourable than mine There are some instances when a book seems to speak differently to you than to many others This is one such instance Zhang Ling I m not much of a themed reader not deliberately anyway so I consider it pure coincidence that I happened to pick up this book to read the day before Halloween To clarify this book is not a spooky read by any means neither is it any genre even remotely related to this holiday rather the coincidence I am referring to is the fact that this story is narrated entirely by ghosts Actually to put it precisely from the moment the story opens in 2015 the 3 main characters American missionary Pastor Billy Chinese solider Liu Zhaohu and gunner s mate Ian Ferguson are already dead Pastor Billy died 70 years ago in 1945 Liu Zhaohu joined him 18 years later in 1963 and together they waited another 52 years before Ian Ferguson was able to join them on that exact date August 15th 2015 Now before anyone starts chiding me for supposedly revealing spoilers let me just say that all of the above is already revealed within the first few pages of the book to that point the entire basis of the story harkens back to a pact that the 3 men made on that day in 1945 when Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced via radio broadcast Japan s surrender to Allied Forces effectively bringing an end to World War II Stationed in the small village of Yuehu China at the time of the announcement the 3 men make a pledge on that historic day stipulating that after their deaths their souls would return to Yuehu every year on the anniversary of the broadcast however due to the 3 of them dying at different times it isn t until 70 years later that they are finally able to fulfill the pledge they made so long ago As the 3 of them come together to reminisce about a war that changed the course of their lives forever it soon becomes clear that each of their stories is tied to that of one woman whom all of them loved but lost and it is her life that s truly the focus here This woman whose given name from birth is Yao Guiyan is simultaneously known to Liu Zhaohu as Ah Yan or swallow to Pastor Billy as Stella meaning star and to Ian Ferguson as Wende transliteration of wind Ah Yan s impact on these 3 men is profound despite the atrocities and suffering she endures in the face of a horrific war she not only finds the courage to survive but does so with remarkable grace and humanity It is through the memories of this extraordinary woman that these 3 ghosts scarred by the lasting effects of war are able to finally understand the truths of what they experienced and reconcile the regrets of their pasts Knowing that the story is set during a time period of immense devastation and tragedy in World War II I braced myself for a sad and difficult read going into this one while both of these did ring true the atrocities committed by the Japanese army were especially hard to read this also turned out to be a story of resilience courage hope and ultimately the redemptive power of love which thankfully helped to balance out the story in the end I found the structure of the story an interesting one each chapter is alternately narrated by 3 dead men with 1 chapter in the middle narrated by 2 dogs yes you read that correctly that also played significant roles in the story Given this setup this book definitely doesn t fit nicely into one category in terms of genre I felt that this fell into the historical fiction genre with elements of magical realism mixed in which altogether put a unique spin to the story that made this a different reading experience for me What I liked most though is that the author Zhang Ling a Chinese author based in Canada in experimenting with form and structure didn t neglect the cultural elements that are so critical in a story such as this one I read quite a bit of historical fiction since it s one of my favorite genres and one of the things I always look for is a strong sense of time and place to the point that I feel transported as though living the same events alongside the characters Having said that when it comes to historical fiction within the context of a culture that I m familiar with I m also a stickler for getting the cultural aspects right which I ll admit I was worried about with this book once I learned that the story was originally written in Chinese and later translated into English Perhaps because of my background I understand first hand how tricky it can be to translate from Chinese to English plus I ve read my fair share of poorly translated works over the years and so this is a particularly sensitive area for me With this book while I can t say that the translation was flawless because as far as I m concerned translations are never 100% perfect one thing I did appreciate was the effort made to render the cultural elements as authentically as possible Of course not having read the original book in Chinese there s no way for me to judge the accuracy of the translation word for word but I am encouraged by the fact that the translator chose to keep Chinese names and phrases intact throughout the story for example in Liu Zhaohu s chapters the translator could ve very easily referred to Ah Yan as Swallow or their village Sishiyi Bu as Forty One Steps Village but instead she mentioned the English translation of those words only once as a means of introduction after that the Chinese phrases were used for the remainder of the story In addition as a whole I felt that the author did a pretty good job of balancing both the historical events and cultural elements in a way that made the reading experience an immersive one though admittedly the chapters involving Liu Zhaohu and Ah Yan as well as how life was like in their ancestral village of Sishiyi Bu were the most engaging for me Overall this was a great story poignant and heartbreaking in many areas but also ultimately uplifting The ending I thought was fitting and definitely got me a bit teary eyed My one complaint though and the main reason why this ended up being 4 stars instead of 5 is that despite Ah Yan s story being the most important we never got to hear her perspective directly While I feel that the author did a good job of bringing Ah Yan as a character to life through the memories of the 3 men who loved her I think this would ve been a much powerful and emotionally resonant story if we had gotten to hear Ah Yan s perspective as well even if it was only 1 chapter or as an epilogue at the end In skimming through reviews I know this was a deal breaker for a few readers and while it wasn t a huge issue to that extent for me I can understand why it would ve affected the reading experience for some Regardless though I would still recommend this one as a worthy read if anything because of the relative scarcity of WWII related fiction out in the mainstream nowadays that is either written from the Asian perspective or covers the events that unfolded across the Asian continent during that time period Much of what happened in China and other Asian countries back then was no less tragic than what had happened in Europe but in general is much less talked about outside of Asia Hopefully of these stories can be heard in the future Received ARC from Crossing via NetGalley Zhang Ling This novel translated from Chinese tells of the life of a young woman variously known as Yao Ah Yan swallow Wende and Stella during the Japanese occupation of China during WW2 and during the early days of communism During her life she was loved by three very different men who ultimately left her These three men Liu Zhaohu Pastor Billy a medically trained missionary and American gunner Ian Ferguson came together briefly for a few months at an American training camp and on the day of the Japanese surrender pledged that after their deaths their ghosts would return annually on that day until all three could meet again The events are therefore related by their ghosts as they look back at their lives and their time with Ah Yan. A single swallow kindle uk Although we only see Ah Yan s through the three men she clearly grew to be a strong and compassionate woman who not only survived the loss of her father and their tea plantation during bombing by the Japanese but also brutal abuse by Japanese soldiers Taken in by Pastor Billy she gradually healed and helped Billy with his patients At the training camp she met Ian Ferguson and later re encountered Liu Zhaohu when he was selected for training All three men intended to look after her but ultimately all of them failed leaving her to make her own way as communism arrived in her village Although this is a story that unfolded slowly I was happy for the lovely writing and translation to take me along on Ah Yan s journey and that of the three very different men I was also fasicnated in learning about a different aspect of WW2 and enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions of the surrounding countryside Chinese culture and village life before and during WW2 as well as the work of the missionary and the American training camp teaching guerrilla warfare to local soldiers With thanks to Crossing and Netgalley for a digital copy of the book to read Zhang Ling 4 stars for a literary fiction book that is a story of how WWII affected 4 people in a small village in China This book was written in Chinese and translated into English The translation is excellent. A single swallow cannot make a summer It is a love story of 3 men American soldier Ian Ferguson American missionary doctor Pastor Billy and local soldier Liu Zhaohu all of whom fall in love with Ah Yan also known as Swallow Pastor Billy calls her Stella Ian calls her Wende and Liu calls her Yao Ah Yan Swallow Pastor Billy teaches her enough medical skills so that she can become a rural doctor I don t want to go into spoiler territory but there is rape in this story and it affects how these 3 people relate to each other. A single swallowd dan Some quotes Ah Yan had laughed at how my father spoke as if fog really had substance My father had tapped her head with his bamboo chopsticks and said You don t believe me Well people eat dogs dogs eat shit and tea leaves eat fog Look at all the good tea leaves around the world and tell me which does not come from a misty mountain Time is a miraculous thing It can wear down the thorns of emotion gradually eroding them to dust and from this dust a new sprout grows. A single swallowi item The sunflowers were full and solid each golden face looking like a woman who knows how to flirt free of bashfulness turned to look at the sky Everything was golden that day the rows of finely scattered clouds on the horizon the bees buzzing on the open flowers the butterflies flitting through the forest and the dew clinging to each leaf I closed my eyes imprinting the golden memory on my mind as I breathed in the golden breeze When I opened my eyes again I suddenly noticed a figure wearing a golden straw hat in the heart of the sunflower forest Zhang Ling 2 a most interesting plot mired in UGH stars Thank you to Netgalley the author and translator as well as Crossing for an e copy This was originally released in Chinese in 2017 and the English translation was released October 2020 This could have been an epic and beautiful saga Three men in 1940s Yuehu China love one teenage girl who is a bit too noble and sacrificed way too much Two of the men are Americans.