River Town

Peter Hessler

This is an account of the author's two-year stint teaching college English in the central Chinese city of Fuling, but it is more that just 'another' travel book. Hessler made a point of learning the language and living the life of a local as far as possible. This permitted him to see the country as both an insider and an outsider and gave rise to a host of interesting, insightful, revealing and humorous moments.

I could go on at length about the many qualities of his book, but I'll content myself with saying that it is extremely well written - a real literary work, shot through with humanity and understanding, and is one of the best attempts to get inside the mystery that is the emerging China that I have ever read. One of my books of the year, unreservedly recommended.