Synopsis

Shanghai, 2007: Fourteen-year-old Alva has always longed for more. Raised by her American expat mother, she’s never known her Chinese father, and she is certain a better life awaits them in America. But when her mother announces her engagement to their wealthy Chinese landlord, Lu Fang, Alva’s hopes are dashed. She plots for the next best thing: the American School in Shanghai. Upon admission, though, Alva is surprised to discover an institution run by an exclusive community of expats and the ever-wilder thrills of a city where foreigners can ostensibly act as they please.

1985: In the seaside city of Qingdao, Lu Fang is a young married man and a lowly clerk in a shipping yard. Although he once dreamed of a bright future, he is now one of many casualties in his country’s harsh political reforms. So when China opens its doors to the first wave of foreigners in decades, Lu Fang’s world is split wide open after he meets an American woman who makes him confront difficult questions about his current status in life and how much will ever be enough.

Review

Beautifully written, River East, River West looks at a blended family in China attempting to navigate the difficulties they face in terms of belonging, whilst trying to hide their tragic pasts.

This is a book of two halves. The past timeline is interesting engaging, as we get to know the characters and how they meet, as well as what brought them back together; prose is descriptive, rich and evokes a China that is full of hope.

Unfortunately, the modern timeline feels rushed, with a lot of storylines going on, which affects the impact they could have. There are also no redeeming features whatsoever. Alva is a spoilt, unlikeable character, as is her mother Sloane; it’s hard to relate to them in any way, or care about what they think is a hard life. Lu Fang is perhaps pitiable in some ways, but he does not handle any situation well, and his presence in the modern timeline really adds nothing to the story. In fact, all of the main characters feel lacking in depth somehow.

What redeems this book are its side characters, who Lescure really brings to life. Gao Xiaofan has a real sense of life and his story could have been developed so he had a larger role. Lu Fang’s son Minmin had potential, but his story was short and again it would have been nice to learn more about his missing years.

Overall, it’s well written with some good characterisation, but the plot lets it down.

Thanks to Duckworth Books for my advanced copy. Opinions my own.