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Summary: Hollywood Producers: Buy the Film Rights to this Book!
Review: This is the kind of book I always like, when carried off as smoothly as the Shlians have done with Shou.Dr. Lili Quan is a twenty seven year old medical resident, finishing her training in Los Angeles. Things could be going better in her life. Instead, they get worse. International intrigue, geriatric medicine, Chinese culture both past and present, romance and self-sacrifice: Shou has all this and more. I won1t go into the plot details in this sprawling work that ranges over fifty years and two continents, suffice to say it is sufficient to its task which is transporting you to the People1s Republic of China during the student protests leading up to the massacre at Tiananmen Square. There, through the eyes and mind of Lili, you will discover her Chinese roots as she travels to meet her grandfather. That she is the unwitting tool of desperate and evil men gives this journey its piquant sense of foreboding and danger. Showing the unmistakable signs of meticulous research blended with a nice eye for detail, this is the kind of novel that you experience as much as read. It1s big and juicy, but not bloated or overstuffed. Four hundred and sixteen pages (not counting the ample glossary, a map and pronunciation guide) in trade paperback size is no afternoon1s read, but I was happy to take it a little slowly and enjoy the ride. Written in easily digestible chunks, the style, reminiscent of Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy, breaks the story into managable size. This is not, in the strictest sense, a tightly written thriller. There is too much honest emotion and realism for this to be an escapist read. Rather, it is a journey through both danger and wonder. Note to Hollywood producers looking for a hot property: here it is! Buy the film rights to this book! The character of Lili is crying out for a talented Asian-American actor to bring her to life with all the depth the Shlians have created. I hereby nominate Chow Yun Fat for the male lead. For readers who love stories set in Asia, buy this book-you'll be glad you did. In total, I like this book a whole bunch. I will want to read it again, just to revisit China and spend some time with the people there.
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