Little Gods, Meng Jin, author
In 1989, In Bejing, on the evening of the Tianamen Square massacre, Su Lan arrives at a hospital. She is in labor. Her husband, Yongzong arrives with her, but he seems to be there reluctantly. When she is admitted, he leaves. He went to Beijing for an Oncology conference, but his interests had recently turned more toward political activism,. He was against the policies of the government. He resented Su Lan’s restraint and disinterest in his activities. When his side is defeated, the students are also defeated. The dictator survives. Su Lan finds herself left alone with an infant daughter she names Liya. She has no idea about where her husband is or if he will return. She never does see him again. She becomes depressed and relies on the disabled woman who is her next door neighbor. Zhu Wan is used to caring for those who are depressed. Her disabled husband had been despondent toward the end of his short life. Although her own body was disfigured, causing her to limp, her husband, who was blind, only witnessed her kindness toward him. She was not always kind to others, however, having been bullied, stared at and rejected for most of her life.
For a few years, Zhu Wan and Su Lan share a life. Then, one day, Su Lan announces that they will leave for America. She asks Zhu Wan to keep the apartment for her or her husband, should he return. She vows that one day, she would return. However, in 2007, a woman who resembles Su Lan appears instead. It is Liya. Su Lan has died. Su Lan and Liya had not gotten along that well and when Su Lan ended her life, Liya became determined to discover her own history. Who was her father? Why did her mother never speak of him? Why hadn’t she tried harder to find out about her heritage while her mother was alive?
The chapters alternate, featuring one character or another as the story unfolds. The history is very interesting, but the story developed a little too slowly for me. It was sometimes tedious, since although the book is really interesting, it doesn’t draw the reader back consistently. Still, it is written in a far more literary style than many books today and is pleasant just to read it for the composition of the sentences! They are crafted well and the language is never offensive. There are no indiscreet sexual scenes written simply to titillate the reader, and every word feels chosen for the sentence. It is a slow read, but a good read.