A review by redowns1022
Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China by Peter Hessler

3.0

I had trouble getting 'into' this book for reasons that were hard to figure out. I would put it down for days at a time. Chapters jump from story to story and until you get a little ways in, it doesn't seem to have a force driving the narrative forward. I enjoyed the second half much better and found his reflections on Washington DC (when a character immigrates to the US) and the similarities between Chinese and Americans particularly interesting. I don't know too much about China and Hessler does a good job of really introducing you to the Chinese people beyond the government or history.
In terms of who I might recommend this to, usually I find that books focusing on personal narratives are great reads to introduce you to a country or a culture if you are unfamiliar with it or do not usually read history or political science. This book, though, I think it probably most enjoyable for readers already very interested and somewhat knowledgeable about China.