The Early Arrival of Dreams : A Year in China

Rating:
Summary: Ordinary people in China - true love and saddness
Review: I am a Chinese living in Hong Kong. I was so moved by this book when I read it 7 years ago. Its the extra-ordinary observation of the author that illustrated the ordinary life of Chinese People. It had special meaning during that particular moment of history. China is changing form a close society and are openning to the world. Its like birds flying out of the cage. They may forget to fly but they keep on trying. The author showed the spirit of Chinese People that are strugging to achieve their goals under difficult conditions.

Rating:
Summary: Extraordinarily vivid writing, fascinating!
Review: Rosemary Mahoney describes a year teaching English in Hangzhou, China, with an extraordinary gift for language and an eye for detail. While her experiences may not be as sensational as those in Mark Salzman's China memoir Iron and Silk, she is an infinitely more talented and entertaining writer. Salzman's book can be consumed once or simply foregone for the film adaptation of Iron and Silk, but I find myself returning again and again to Ms Mahoney's book, more for how she describes situations and people than for what actually happened. It's sad (but alas, not surprising) to see that such a quiet masterpiece has gone out of print while Salzman's journalistic anecdotes keep flying out of bookstores...Find the Early Arrival of Dreams anyway!