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A review by fazila
A Single Swallow by Ling Zhang
4.0
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FR REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you, AmazonCrossing for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
DISCLAIMER : Trigger warnings for rape, sexual assault, violence, war, horrific deaths of animals.
A Single Swallow is the story of a young woman Ah Yan. Ah Yan's life story, her journey from a naive young girl to a courageous young woman, is told from the perspectives of the three men in her life. After Japan's surrender, bringing an end to World War 2. The three men, after a day of joyous celebrations, take a vow to meet every year at the village. It was where they have lived, fought a war, and survived challenging times. Now seventy years later, they get to fulfill their promise. The American missionary Pastor Billy, the gunner’s mate Ian Ferguson, and a local soldier Liu Zhaohu come together and tells us their story and how each of them was connected to Ah Yan. The three of them loved Ah Yan in their unique way. The story is mostly an exploration of their individual lives and how tangled all of their lives were with Ah Yan's. As each of their stories unfolds, we get to see a clearer picture of how Ah Yan affected their lives. Ah Yan's history and her story are unveiled fascinatingly with the most beautiful writing and descriptions.
The story and the premise were so unique that I found myself being drawn to it and wanting to know more about this woman who stood with her head high despite having faced inexplicable atrocities in her short life. It was also interesting to see that even though this was a character study for Ah Yan and the three men, it simultaneously portrays the Chinese culture as well. The pacing is slower, and the stories told do not follow any particular order but more like the characters reminiscing the olden days when they met each other, how they all worked closely, and also their complicated relationship with Ah Yan. The three men in their own way take and take from her while Ah Yan gives herself unconditionally to each of them. Ah Yan has different names, and these are given to her by the men in her life. As a reader, we get to know her in relation to the men in her life. We do not get a perspective from her, and yet she is one of the most admired and respected characters in this book.
The story was quite simply brilliant. It tells an intimate tale of love, sacrifice, betrayal, abandonment, and forgiveness. It paints the story of a young girl who is forced to grow up too soon and under horrific circumstances. I believe this story will help in bridging the gap between the East and West with this beautifully written story. It's poignant and introspective, and you will need to savor it slowly to grasp the beauty of it. I gave this book 4-4.5 stars, and as you can already tell, I had an amazing time reading this book. I highly recommend this story to all of you, historical fiction readers out there. If you love slow-paced, multiple POV stories with a compelling character-driven narrative, you need to check this out.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL : YOUTUBE
FOLLOW ME ON : TWITTER INSTAGRAM
FR REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you, AmazonCrossing for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
DISCLAIMER : Trigger warnings for rape, sexual assault, violence, war, horrific deaths of animals.
A Single Swallow is the story of a young woman Ah Yan. Ah Yan's life story, her journey from a naive young girl to a courageous young woman, is told from the perspectives of the three men in her life. After Japan's surrender, bringing an end to World War 2. The three men, after a day of joyous celebrations, take a vow to meet every year at the village. It was where they have lived, fought a war, and survived challenging times. Now seventy years later, they get to fulfill their promise. The American missionary Pastor Billy, the gunner’s mate Ian Ferguson, and a local soldier Liu Zhaohu come together and tells us their story and how each of them was connected to Ah Yan. The three of them loved Ah Yan in their unique way. The story is mostly an exploration of their individual lives and how tangled all of their lives were with Ah Yan's. As each of their stories unfolds, we get to see a clearer picture of how Ah Yan affected their lives. Ah Yan's history and her story are unveiled fascinatingly with the most beautiful writing and descriptions.
The story and the premise were so unique that I found myself being drawn to it and wanting to know more about this woman who stood with her head high despite having faced inexplicable atrocities in her short life. It was also interesting to see that even though this was a character study for Ah Yan and the three men, it simultaneously portrays the Chinese culture as well. The pacing is slower, and the stories told do not follow any particular order but more like the characters reminiscing the olden days when they met each other, how they all worked closely, and also their complicated relationship with Ah Yan. The three men in their own way take and take from her while Ah Yan gives herself unconditionally to each of them. Ah Yan has different names, and these are given to her by the men in her life. As a reader, we get to know her in relation to the men in her life. We do not get a perspective from her, and yet she is one of the most admired and respected characters in this book.
The story was quite simply brilliant. It tells an intimate tale of love, sacrifice, betrayal, abandonment, and forgiveness. It paints the story of a young girl who is forced to grow up too soon and under horrific circumstances. I believe this story will help in bridging the gap between the East and West with this beautifully written story. It's poignant and introspective, and you will need to savor it slowly to grasp the beauty of it. I gave this book 4-4.5 stars, and as you can already tell, I had an amazing time reading this book. I highly recommend this story to all of you, historical fiction readers out there. If you love slow-paced, multiple POV stories with a compelling character-driven narrative, you need to check this out.