December 2014
The Shadow of a River
by Qiu Shanshan
After I Wait for You in Heaven has sold well for more than ten years, Qiu Shanshan again presents a heart-warming work The Shadow of a River. The novel starts with dreams and memories and tells the ever-changing youth of Taoshu and the frustrations of her family by using the four seasons as the timeline and adopting the double perspectives of a child and an adult. The novel gives an euphemistic and unhurried account of the confusion and fragility of time as well as the tenacity of life, reflecting the ways of life during a historical period and highlighting the good and evil nature of ordinary people. The work, with proper rhythm, fluent and simplistic language, and well-balanced structure, is like a well-crafted long scroll of painting.
