Mateusz Michalczyk Michalczyk itibaren Authukurichi, Tamil Nadu, India
Excellent and well written story about two boys who are exiled to a remote village during China's cultural revolution to be re-educated. The harshness of their life is heart wrenching. Their only escape is a stash of forbidden western classic literature. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the ending and won't say anything else in case I ruin it for someone else. From back cover: "In this enchanting tale about the magic of reading and the wonder of romantic awakening, two hapless city boys are exiled to a remote mountain village for re-education during China's infamous Cultural Revolution. There they meet the daughter of the local tailer and discover a hidden stash of Western classics in Chinese translation. As they flirt with the seamstress and secretly devour these banned works, they find transit from their grim surroundings to worlds they never imagined." This was a very quick read.