River of dust
Ratings1
Average rating5
15
Ratings1
Average rating5
On the windswept plains of northwestern China, an upright Midwestern minister develops a following among the Chinese peasants and is christened Ghost Man for what they perceive are his otherworldly powers. He and his wife may finally understand the vast distance they've come.
Reviews with the most likes.
Although I have frequently traveled to China and have read both fiction and nonfiction about the country, I was not familiar with the period described in this novel. It is set in 1910, just before the end of the Imperial era and shortly after the Boxer Rebellion. I found the setting in time and place fascinating, and the characters of the Reverend and his wife, Grace, are both satisfyingly complex–virtuous people who are deeply flawed. The novel, it seems to me, gives an accurate portrayal of the Western approach to China even now, tainted with ignorance and arrogance.
It's a wonderful novel that I would recommend to anyone.
