Description
A quiet, atmospheric novel of confinement and endurance, this story follows Dongliang as he navigates a life shaped by a controlling father, the slow routines of barge existence, and the daily sting of being mocked by neighbors. When Ku leaves the shore for a new life among the boat people—refusing to surrender the dignity of his former status—his decision ripples through his family, especially as a teenage son is pulled into the same tightly bound world. Across years of cramped living and unspoken rules, relationships become taut, choices feel limited, and redemption is measured less by escape than by what one can still claim as selfhood. With Su Tong’s distinctive blend of sharp social observation and lyrical restraint, the book explores class, stigma, family power, and the fragile hope of transformation under pressure.
Available Editions
paperback
Overlook Press
Published Jan 1, 2011
362 pages
ISBN: 9781590206720
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Details
First Published
2011
Language
chi
Translation
From: chi
Content Warnings
No content warnings identified.