Arrived today. Looks like a fantastic book. Am part way through and completely addicted to The Tenderness of Wolves, so this one will have to wait a little while...

From the back:

" Binu and the Great Wall of China tells an unforgettable story of passion, hardship and magical adventure. When her husband disappears from their home, Binu knows that he has been taken against his will. She decides that she must save him. With only a blind frog for company, she sets out on an extraordinary journey across Great Swallow Mountain, towards a place where armies of men are labouring on one of the greatest building projects the world has ever known: the Great Wall of China."

Wow. This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I did really enjoy it, and the images in the story were at times really beautiful. I had thought someone, because the words fairystory were used on the cover, that it would be more innocent; and also that the frog would have a much different role to play. The story style is grittier and more down to earth than I’d expected – people have rough lives, bodily functions aren’t neatly avoided, and no happy endings are guaranteed. It some ways it’s very ‘realistic’ - an old man tells Binu at one point “Who told you to marry an honest man? Things don’t turn out well for honest men.” Quite different to a lot of our western fairystories. In part it even seems to break down the idea of myths. Binu grows up in Peach Village, where the ‘Rulebook for Daughters’ tells them that they mustn’t cry through their eyes, or else they’ll die – an idea that developed locally after a massacre of locals who were mourning and crying. So when Binu starts crying through her eyes, she thinks her death is imminent and gets a lad to prepare her grave. And yet she doesn’t die, which makes the boy angry.

But at the same time, it’s not completely realistic – women can cry through their toes and hair, and tears gush like rivers from Binu, so it’s definitely in myth territory. From the introduction, I understand that this is an old myth in China, but Su Tong has written it up again. So it’s a modern rendition, but the style still makes it feel like an old tale. And from a historical point of view it’s interesting to experience a little of life in China then – the massive waste of human life building the great wall, the way people were treated, the lords and kings and assasins…

I like the cover design as well on a random side note!!!

Many thanks to Canongate books for letting me read this. I will release it again – not sure how yet – and leave my review on the website that was mentioned.

RELEASE NOTES:

Am sending this to foxed as a book swap for one of the other books Canongate books offered up recently - Where three roads meet.

Thanks OpheliaPhilips, for this swap! A chance to read a second book in the Canongate Myths series. I too love the cover - misty and atmospheric.

I'm sorry to say I'm not getting on with this book - I'll give it to the end of the fifth chapter. The problem I'm having is the tight focus on Binu, the wife searching for her man who has been taken away to labour on the construction of the Great Wall; and she has a lot happen to her, but we just see it from the outside.

There is no view ahead, no map of rivers to be crossed or mountains climbed, and we get no sense of Binu's plans or expectations, or indeed feelings at all, except she cries - A LOT.

It's all a series of random encounters, happening somewhere. Perhaps I'm bringing along Western expectations of ginormous trolls on every page, or obvious moral lessons - 'he shouldn't have cried wolf' - but I feel like I'm eating an endless bowl of tofu, nice but not spicy enough for me to get through a whole book.

Sorry, that's me bailing out. Thanks, OpheliaPhilips, it was great to have the opportunity to read this book, but I just couldn't go on.

Will post it on to KiwiinEngland when she sends me her address.

In the post to KiwiinEngland, in Ireland - enjoy!

Thanks for sending this on. I do like the colours on the cover, so here's hoping I enjoy the story also.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I bought this to New Zealand to read while on holiday. This hasn't happened so I'll read it next time I visit. In the mean time I passing it on to my mother to read.

I enjoyed this book. It shows what love and dedication can do.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Released to my daughter

I reobtained this book while holidaying in NZ. I plan to read it and then send it off to a fellow bookcrosser who enjoys Asian culture.

I found this book fascinating, the way the story progressed as Binu travelled to find her husband who had been taken for forced labour to build the Great Wall of China.

I could imagine this story being passed down as oral story telling, with each section having a specific event...rather like The Iliad or The Odyssey. The most powerful I thought was the chapter where the Deer boys and the Horse men interacted.

The structure of society in China, with rigid roles and lots of superstition/customs made a very interesting read. And Binu's wish to ignore the customs and help her husband put a love story in the centre of the myth.

This is travelling to Canada as part of ApoloniaX's Asian Virtual Book Box. Posting via Royal Mail (Surface mail, printed media rate). I hope you find this book as enjoyable and interesting as I did.

Thanks! The book arrived safely in the mail a couple of days ago! I can't wait to read it!

I haved mixed feelings about this book. While the story engaged me, it never used a positive plot point to move it forward! I was feeling a touch depressed after reading it. But I agree with other journallers that I learned a lot about life in China during that time even if some of the plot points are absolutely in myth territory.

Taking to a meetup to hopefully find a new reader.

Taking to the meetup!

To the finder:
Calgary has an active group of BookCrossers that meet to swap books and discuss book crossing every second Saturday of the month at 11am at the Joshua Tree Cafe on Edmonton Trail. We always love to meet new crossers, so please join us any time you like!

Grabbed from a friend at a get together

This was a really neat myth. I found the beginning and ending captivating, though there were parts in the middle where I was simply frustrated because the characters all seemed to spout made up nonsense because they couldn't be bothered to listen (or at least I'm assuming that's why they were spouting made up nonsense). I mean, when something is clearly stated over and over again, how hard is it to really grasp what's been told to you? For example, if someone went "I need 3 apples. Only apples. No more or less than 3 apples" you wouldn't respond with "Here's five watermelons, isn't that good enough?"

Anyways, on whole I thought Binu's character was magnificent, even if she was a bit naïve about the world. I wish I could cry through my hair!

Thanks for the interesting read!

Taken to get together.

Picked up at the Calgary BookCrossing group at Cravings.

There was a batch of books that came to the Wrapped Book Exchange, so I picked this one up.

Bit of a struggle at times. but quite interesting that it takes place during the building of the Great Wall of China. Interesting end.

I am releasing this into the Covid Book Box that is circulating.

Book Box 1 is back with me. I am removing a bunch of books as part of a clean up so am journaling everything so everything is accounted for and we know which box they end up in.

This book is being released into Book Box 1.

We may not be able to meet in person but our books can still unite us.

Picked up this book from the Calgary BookCrossing Travelling Book Box #1. The back blurb sounded cool so I had to check it out.

I feel like I've encountered this myth before. Maybe during the China unit in grade six? Anyway, this was an odd book. Binu bumbles her way through a lot of her journey, which is frustrating sometimes because you really want her to have some agency in her own story. But it's also interesting how the story views emotions. The women of Binu's village are expected to keep their tears to themselves, but it's Binu's weeping for her husband that tears down a part of the Great Wall. Seems like a very Chinese view of emotions. Don't express them for they'll cause a great disruption.