Interesting story from WWII happenings in China during WWII. It's written from the points of view of 3 men surrounding a female character whose Chinese name means "Swallow". It was my first time reading a book that was written in Chinese and translated to English. I found the events devastating, especially after the Japanese found the village that the Swallow lived in. The war affected the 3 men and the Swallow differently so it was interesting to see what happened to them.

2 "a most interesting plot mired in UGH" stars !!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and translator, as well as Amazon Crossing for an e-copy. This was originally released in Chinese in 2017 and the English translation was released October 2020.

This could have been an epic and beautiful saga. Three men in 1940s Yuehu China love one teenage girl who is a bit too noble and sacrificed way too much. Two of the men are Americans, a missionary doctor and an army special ops trainer who trains the Chinese to sabotage the Japanese. The third man is a childhood friend and officer in training of the girl. There is so much here and if written well could have been a cinematic masterpiece.

Instead we have:

-the author could have easily made the teenage girl a young woman (this felt rather icky )
-the constant sacrificing of this girl felt a bit like Sade's Justine
-the writing was at best middling but only in certain sections and the rest was less so
-the spoonfeeding of this happened and this happened and this happened felt extremely longwinded and times sleep-inducing
-constant moralizing and the nobility of all the heros' actions felt superficial and false
-there was often a very cloying sweet sentimentality that cheapened a most arresting plot
-magical realism that mostly didn't work especially anthropomorphic dogs that communicate to each other from the dead and the three mens' ghosts telling the story and filling in many details...these devices felt lazy and ineffective


What prevented this from being in the one star category and me resorting to pinching myself was a well constructed plot that in better hands could have made this book zing and sing rather than mostly make me moan and groan....

Historical fiction set in a new (for me) context -- China's war against Japan during WWII. The book tells the story of one woman who comes of age during that time. Her experiences are told through the eyes of the three men closest to her and a variety of others accounts of her life and the experiences during the war.

While I enjoyed this book and found the story interesting, I suspect it would be confusing for some. The story is not told in chronological order, but rather through the reminiscences of others. The three "main" characters are men who knew each other during the war. At the end (after Japan's surrender), they went their separate ways vowing to return to China and meet again. They do so, but not until after their deaths, so their stories are told as ghosts -- a bit odd, and the writing is as if they are speaking to each other (much is written in "second person"). Other accounts of her story are told through newspaper articles, military reports, and even the dogs tell part of the story. In addition, Chinese naming conventions create some confusion for those who are not familiar with it. Many names are very similar.

The story is emotionally troubling, but the resilience of the main characters shines throughout. An important addition to the plethora of WWII era books being published currently.

This was a beautiful book. Great prose and remarkable storyline. I live anything WWII so this was right up my alley. If you love a good historical fiction, then this is for you.

A beautiful book set in China during World War II. Three men all fight in the war in their own way. All three men are touched by Ah Yan. All three know her by different names and all three touch her life in different ways.

The book was a bit slow at first, but picked up. The book is stunning, sorrowful, but showcases a survivor.

Wonderful historical fiction narrated by the ghosts of three men who were all involved with a woman over the course of a few years in the deep Chinese countryside during WWII. The books was brutal at times, but I became totally immersed in the story.

Thank you Zhang Ling and netgallery for the chance to read this amazing book!

I love WWII historical fiction novels. I've read quite a few, so any that give me the chance to see it from a new perspective, I devour. And this novel did just that. It didn't drag on at all. It was being told from multiple perspectives which I enjoyed. It had a little bit of heartbreak, romance, story telling. It was a little confusing when I first started reading, like the story telling of it, but I figured it out and loved it.

It took me a little bit to get used to the style of this book and to really orient myself to what was happening, but once I did, this book flew by. Set in war-torn China after WWII, this book was deeply character driven. Three men return as ghosts and relate their stories of one woman over the years. I found it really interesting to read the chunks narrated by each of the male characters as a way to really delve into who the female main character was. Ah Yan, known by several names throughout the book depending on who is speaking, was such a strong and formidable character. The hardships of her life and her struggles to overcome them were both moving and engaging. I think presenting her life through the lens of others was such an interesting way of viewing her because it allowed a little distance. You were not swamped with the emotions that she was experiencing, but were able to see her through the emotion of another in a way that made it a little less intense and all the more readable for this particular book. I think having everything from her perspective would have been too heavy a read for me with this one. I enjoyed being able to see how she affected her world and not just how her world affected her. All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed reading this. It was a touching and deep read without feeling overwhelming to me.

I attempted to read this book and was just so lost as to what was going on and what time frame the story was taking place in. I did not finish this book. Thank you to the publisher for this arc. It was just not for me.

In 1945, the Emperor of Japan announced the countries surrender to the allied forces and the war in the Pacific was finally over. Three men in a Chinese village make a promise, they survived the long war years, after their deaths, their souls would return to the village of Yuehu on the anniversary of the surrender.

William de Royer-Macmillan, a minister and doctor, Ian Ferguson a gunner’s mate in the American Navy and local soldier and childhood friend Liu Zhaohu. The men all knew a girl who grew into a woman, and her name was Ah Yan. She suffered terribly, her father was killed, and her body violated, and with dignity and incredible courage she survived. The ghosts look back at the past, missing is Ah Yan, each of the men loved her and her soul was free from this world.

A Single Swallow is a story a girl called Ah Yah, about the three male ghosts, I'm sorry but I didnt really understand the meaning behind the book and I found it rather confusing. The positive aspects of the story for me, was doctor Billy saved Ah Yah life, her also taught her about medicine, she could support herself, and return to her village.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a beautifully written, gorgeous read. I highly reccomend it

Perfect for fans of historical fiction. The characters will pull you into this often tragic story of life in China during WWII. It's atmospheric and engaging. A good read.

I went into this book blind and I'm so glad for that. The writing is beautiful, complete with immersive imagery and Ling doesn't shy away from showing the horrors of war or the mundane struggles of daily life in WWII China.The book has a slower pace and allowed me to absorb these well drawn characters. Three men, two in the army and one pastor/missionary, recount memories of both their lives and the life of a young woman that changed all of their fates. This is the story of the remarkable woman who is referred to as Ah Yan (swallow), Wende (wind) and Stella (star). Highly recommend!

I enjoyed reading this unique, heart wrenching novel by Zhang Ling, an author who is new to me. Such evocative writing. It was fascinating to read about the Japanese occupation and how it affected the lives of the Chinese. A sense of place is strongly imagined here with such vivid imagery. Told from the perspectives of three men, the story follows a woman called Ay Yan, and her struggles of life in China during the war. Well researched, and great to read about life during WW2 in China. Well recommended.

An evocative read that sits well in your tongue as you turn the pages. The Japanese occupation and its impact on Chinese lives have been meticulously described, with just the right amount of character development. Rural China is brought to life and the characters and the theme has been dealt with sensitivity and precision

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I admit in my joy at joining NetGalley I may have been overzealous in my requesting numbers. As this book has already been published, I am choosing to work on the current upcoming publish date books in my que. As I complete those I will work on my backlogged request and will provide a review at that time. I again send my sincere thanks and apologies.

This was a very well told, fascinating story about the effect of war on people and on love. I liked the characters and the way the story is told. It was a heartbreaking but also showed the redemption or other side of war and perseverance. Although a few parts felt a little repetitive and there were a few slow parts, I really liked this one!

A Single Swallow is a heartwrenching book about a woman, Ah Yan, told from the perspectives of three men. It follows her struggles as a woman living in China during WWII, under Japanese occupation.

I really enjoyed the unique narrative style and liked that the voices of the characters were so distinct. The writing style was wonderful so kudos to the translator for managing to preserve the beauty of the writing. The character growth was evident but some of the characters were so selfish it was hard to read their perspective.

I thought the pacing was a little off and the ending failed to live up to the rest of the book. It's at times a little hard to read as the subject matter is dark, but it's still ultimately hopeful. A very unique novel that covers an aspect of history that is often forgotten. Would love to see what else this author writes in the future.

*An e-copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher, Amazon Crossing, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I did not think that this book would leave me so emotionally wrecked in places. While it took me a while to understand how these characters related to each other, once clarity was achieved, this novel really took off for me. The plot revolves around four main characters, Ian Ferguson, Liu Zhaohu, Pastor Billy and Ah Yan (also known as Wende, Swallow and Stella depending on who was telling their part of the story) during the time of WWII in China during the Japanese occupation.

War is hell. We all know that, but to read it in some detail from different perspectives, and not necessarily a military one, it was heart-wrenching. The author also included the view from two dogs belonging to Ian and Ah Yan who died during the war. Their frank and open talk of how they saw their owners and of their own deaths was a concept that I had not come across before in a novel and I appreciated the insight from two creatures of unconditional love for their owners and each other. There was an ebb and flow to this novel, almost like water for me. Each character, of course, have their own stories and tragedies to experience, from early death to sexual assault to imprisonment to raising children to simply surviving WWII. It’s not all action all the time because life isn’t like that.

This is one novel that I have read in a long time that really got to my emotions. It was a beautiful story, characters developed enough to deliver an impact, and Ling delivered several personal journeys effected by not only a war, but death, growth, loss, knowledge and love. I wouldn’t consider this a love story, but rather part coming-of-age story for Ah Yan and part memoir for the men after they cross the veil. It was a wonderfully told story of the human condition, how we perceive and want to perceive, how desire changes, where fate takes a person. I would recommend this novel to other readers and I look forward to Ling’s next work.

A Single Swallow.

Who is she?

Her name is Ah Yan.
Stella.
Wende.

But who is she?


Set against the backdrop of China during Japanese occupation in WW2, A Single Swallow is the story of Ah Yan. Her story is told through the eyes, the hearts & the minds of three men. On the day these men are reunited, they share their stories of themselves, war & of her, & so the picture of Ah Yan begins to form.

Ling Zhang has written a novel that is unique in this way. Although Ah Yan is central to this story, we are never privy to her inner thoughts, her dreams, her hopes & desires. Instead, we learn of her through the memories of Ian, Pastor Billy & Liu Zhaohu; the three men who loved her. Although she does not have a voice, her strength & resilience is apparent throughout & Zhang has created an inspiring role model out of her. Like her namesake, she shows grace, loyalty & care towards others even when they may not deserve it.

The one thing that was apparent to me throughout was how selfish their love for her seemed. Love tends to be more selfish than selfless but reading only from the perspectives of those who loved her made this more apparent than it would have been had the story been written from her POV. She lived a life of service & whenever these men made decisions for her, I wondered whether they had taken time to consider her needs or wants.

The recollections of war, devastation & loss were heartbreaking of course, but the recollections of hope, redemption & love felt almost uplifting. The historical content is heavy & rich in detail which requires the reader to read slowly, to take it all in. There are some scenes that are hard to read so I’ve put a couple of TW in the comments.