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A review by deedireads
Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Swimming Back to Trout River is an absolutely beautiful novel with quiet, stunning prose and characters. who hop off the page. I’m shocked that it’s a debut.
For you if: You like emotional stories that travel across borders and characters.
FULL REVIEW:
First: Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted copy of this book. It’s really beautiful, both outside (textured cover! deckled edges!) and inside.
Garth Greenwell called this novel “one of the most beautiful debuts I’ve read in years,” and I completely agree. I read it over the course of just two days, but it felt like time stretched gloriously and endlessly as I did so — I was completely engrossed, savoring every word. Linda Rui Feng’s prose is gorgeous. Did I even breathe as I read her words? I’m not sure.
The story features four characters — Junie, a 10-year-old girl who was born without feet and lives with her grandparents in China; her parents, Momo and Cassia, who are estranged from one another in the United States; and Dawn, a violinist and composer who knew Momo when they were students. It spans decades, coming to life during Momo and Dawn’s university days during China’s Cultural Revolution, and continuing through the 1980s, when Momo promises Junie that they’ll spend her special 12th birthday together as a family in America.
These characters are complex, layered, and so compelling. I loved each of them and rooted hard for them to get what they wanted, even when that stood in opposition to what other characters wanted. I just felt so deeply for all of them. And the ending — oh, my heart.
I also really, really loved how Linda Rui Feng brought music into all the corners of the book, from major plot points to tiny little metaphors to the way the writing sings. Truly, if you love music (especially classical), you’ll love this book.
Anyway, this will be on my list of favorites for the year. Read it!
TL;DR REVIEW:
Swimming Back to Trout River is an absolutely beautiful novel with quiet, stunning prose and characters. who hop off the page. I’m shocked that it’s a debut.
For you if: You like emotional stories that travel across borders and characters.
FULL REVIEW:
First: Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted copy of this book. It’s really beautiful, both outside (textured cover! deckled edges!) and inside.
Garth Greenwell called this novel “one of the most beautiful debuts I’ve read in years,” and I completely agree. I read it over the course of just two days, but it felt like time stretched gloriously and endlessly as I did so — I was completely engrossed, savoring every word. Linda Rui Feng’s prose is gorgeous. Did I even breathe as I read her words? I’m not sure.
The story features four characters — Junie, a 10-year-old girl who was born without feet and lives with her grandparents in China; her parents, Momo and Cassia, who are estranged from one another in the United States; and Dawn, a violinist and composer who knew Momo when they were students. It spans decades, coming to life during Momo and Dawn’s university days during China’s Cultural Revolution, and continuing through the 1980s, when Momo promises Junie that they’ll spend her special 12th birthday together as a family in America.
These characters are complex, layered, and so compelling. I loved each of them and rooted hard for them to get what they wanted, even when that stood in opposition to what other characters wanted. I just felt so deeply for all of them. And the ending — oh, my heart.
I also really, really loved how Linda Rui Feng brought music into all the corners of the book, from major plot points to tiny little metaphors to the way the writing sings. Truly, if you love music (especially classical), you’ll love this book.
Anyway, this will be on my list of favorites for the year. Read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence