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A review by gooders
A Single Swallow by Zhang Ling
4.0
This book has taken me almost two weeks to read! I’m generally a quick reader, but my kindle kept telling me that the chapters were 40 minutes long! So I could usually only read a chapter a night, sometimes not even that!
A Single Swallow is set during the Anti-Japanese War (WWII - what a shock, I am a bit obsessed). The story is told by three ghosts. The ghosts were once men, all involved in the war, and who, after war was declared to be over, celebrated together and made a pact to return to the same place on the same date every year once they were dead, as they knew they’d never see each other again after that night.
They each explain what happened in their life, with the central person for each of them being Ah Yan, translated as Swallow. She is known by a different name to each man.
Their lives tell the story of her life. The horror and trauma, alongside the hope and love.
An interesting story, with a factual backdrop.
I debated between 3 or 4 stars for this for two main reasons.
1. A story told by ghosts is not really my cup of tea.
2. One entire chapter is two ghosts dogs talking to each other.
A Single Swallow is set during the Anti-Japanese War (WWII - what a shock, I am a bit obsessed). The story is told by three ghosts. The ghosts were once men, all involved in the war, and who, after war was declared to be over, celebrated together and made a pact to return to the same place on the same date every year once they were dead, as they knew they’d never see each other again after that night.
They each explain what happened in their life, with the central person for each of them being Ah Yan, translated as Swallow. She is known by a different name to each man.
Their lives tell the story of her life. The horror and trauma, alongside the hope and love.
An interesting story, with a factual backdrop.
I debated between 3 or 4 stars for this for two main reasons.
1. A story told by ghosts is not really my cup of tea.
2. One entire chapter is two ghosts dogs talking to each other.