River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze
Peter Hessler. River Town
creative non-fiction
creative non-fiction
Peter Hessler's 'River Town' is a personal narrative of two years that he spent teaching English at a school in Fuling, a small town in China's Sichuan province. The book is an exploration of Chinese culture as it faces the challenges of modernity. Specifically, Hessler uses the three gorges dam project as a metaphor of the sacrifice China is making in destroying its past to keep up with the changing needs of its people. He deftly reviews other movements in Chinese history, such as the Cultural Revolution and The Great Leap Forward and uses them as cautionary warnings of how 'progress' can go awry. Despite its heavy-handed social commentary, 'River Town' is also a charming story of getting to know a culture from the inside. Hessler crafts a riveting story which is easy to read and provides a perfect introduction to the Chinese psyche as modernity explodes on its people. ~ Christopher Towe
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