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A review by serendipitysbooks
Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The first book for the #aspenwordsbookclub is in the bag, and it was a good one. Swimming Back to Trout River examines the impact of China’s Cultural Revolution and the impact of immigration through four key characters, Momo, Dawn, Cassia and Junie. Momo and Dawn meet at university. He is training to be an engineer but is drawn to music when he hears Dawn, a violinist and composer, playing. He eventually marries Cassia. Their daughter Junie is born without lower legs. When her parents migrate to the United States she is left in the care of her grandparents until her parents get established.
The writing quickly drew me in and I appreciated the four main characters in very different ways. Each had their own back story with individual hardships to overcome. Seeing the impact of the Cultural Revolution and migration through four different perspectives contributed to a more complete and nuanced picture than any one would have alone. The settings were also deftly handled, with the village of Trout River being especially vividly depicted.
I especially loved the way Chinese culture in the form of language was woven into this novel, almost as a key theme. Yuanfen and zaohua are introduced and an understanding of these words provides an invaluable lens through which to view the characters and their interactions.
Music, and art more generally, was a key thread throughout the novel, often bringing people together and providing solace at crucial junctures. The contrast in attitudes to the arts in China during the Cultural Revolution and in America was stark.
Janie’s disability and the reaction of others to her was another aspect of the novel I found interesting. While some people were unable to see a future for her, Momo was always optimistic and Junie focussed on what she could do.
While I enjoyed my reading experience I did have some reservations. I would have liked the novel to be a little longer so that we could see more of Junie and also of Dawn’s journey. The ending left me a little unsatisfied because it brought two characters together without any explanation. It just felt too coincidental and convenient.
The writing quickly drew me in and I appreciated the four main characters in very different ways. Each had their own back story with individual hardships to overcome. Seeing the impact of the Cultural Revolution and migration through four different perspectives contributed to a more complete and nuanced picture than any one would have alone. The settings were also deftly handled, with the village of Trout River being especially vividly depicted.
I especially loved the way Chinese culture in the form of language was woven into this novel, almost as a key theme. Yuanfen and zaohua are introduced and an understanding of these words provides an invaluable lens through which to view the characters and their interactions.
Music, and art more generally, was a key thread throughout the novel, often bringing people together and providing solace at crucial junctures. The contrast in attitudes to the arts in China during the Cultural Revolution and in America was stark.
Janie’s disability and the reaction of others to her was another aspect of the novel I found interesting. While some people were unable to see a future for her, Momo was always optimistic and Junie focussed on what she could do.
While I enjoyed my reading experience I did have some reservations. I would have liked the novel to be a little longer so that we could see more of Junie and also of Dawn’s journey. The ending left me a little unsatisfied because it brought two characters together without any explanation. It just felt too coincidental and convenient.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Ableism