River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze

As I finished the last pages of River Town by Peter Hessler I couldn't help but being surprised at what I was feeling. Here I was, at 2 in the morning in northern Minnesota, yet I wanted to savor the last pages slowly. That simply because as I came to the end of the book, I knew that I had to leave China. I knew as I left the ancient rivers and mountains, that the adventure of two years in the far east with close friends and was coming to an end.

What words come to mind when trying to sum up River Town? The first two that come are simply beautiful and peaceful. River Town is a serene book written about one man's experience as a teacher in China in the Peace Corps. The book documents every learning point, every major experience, every akward moment w/ the students (and the Communist party), and every moment of growth in understanding.

As Peter Hessler weaves the rich history of one of the oldest remaining civilizations into his story, the reader starts to understand how deeply the past (especially the past century) has affected the life and perspective of every individual Chinese. Through Hessler's lens we begin to see a people- a proud people with an exciting future still scarred deeply by a painful past.

Nowhere is the tension of China's past and future, of history and progress, more evident than in one of the key themes of the book: The Three Gorges Dam. The controversy of the dam so well-documented throughout the world is nearly unbeknownst to the people actually being affected by the dam. As people are removed from homes and thousand-year-old landmarks, like the White Crane Ridge, are wiped from history, we are faced with the realization that the Chinese are regularly faced with difficult decisions and sacrifices that Americans have never dreamed of making.

Most of all, River Town is a trip to a different world. Since I've been back from China for the last two years, I have longed to go back- to see the countryside, to learn the language. As I lived vicariously through Hessler I found that in a real way I was seeing the countryside, that I was experiencing the joys and frustrations of learning the language, and more than that, I was getting to know China and it's people. This is a very beautifully and well-written book. If you've ever dreamed of walking the Chinese countryside, pick River Town up and prepare for the trip of a lifetime.