Beautiful at times, but some of the essays took away from the experience for me; especially because they could have been so much more touching as poetry rather than spelled out in a long narrative. I loved the reminiscences, but there were also many landscape-descriptions-poems that did not bring much to the table. The concept was touching, and Xiuhua has a wonderful way with words when she speaks of her native village and when she translates her disability into metaphors. Beautifully nostalgic, almost tragic, and I appreciated that the tone never veered onto the intoxicating optimism usually found in disability narratives.

Leading a Dog's Life
Every afternoon when I mow grass, Little Wu comes along
Sometimes I run after her
while she wags her tail

These days I see a man opposite us harvesting wheat
He yells "Miss Xiuhua" at me with a flattering smile
I mow faster a
nd cut my finger a few times

A son-in-law lives with his parents-in-law, a wife gone mad for twenty years
Their son suffers from autism
carries a tape recorder around his waist
so loud that a drift pin can hear it

My rabbit runs to another field, Little Wu chases on
but the son's sickle is faster than a dog
After he drags the rabbit home
he is still searching for it


[Arc provided via Netgalley]