This is the second book in a trilogy and, although it can be read as a stand alone novel, I think that you would get much more from it by reading the prequel, Whispering Shadows. In that novel the reader was introduced to Paul Leibovitz, an American journalist who has lived in Hong Kong for over thirty years, and his Chinese girlfriend Christine Wu, who has lived in there since her father died and her family was torn apart during the Cultural Revolution. Paul was living a reclusive existence in an isolated house on an island a short ferry-ride away from Hong Kong. He had moved there following the death of his young son and the breakdown of his marriage some three years earlier. Although very fond of Christine, he was still feeling too bereft to consider contemplate real commitment.
In this story Paul is beginning to come to terms with the death of his son and his relationship with Christine is deepening, although they are still living apart. Then, out of the blue, Christine receives a letter from her brother Da Long, pleading for her help. As she has had no news of him for forty years, and had thought he must be dead, this letter comes as a huge shock. With her horrific memories of events she experienced during her childhood in China, combined with wondering why her brother had not made contact during the intervening years, she is inclined to ignore the request. However, Paul thinks she should go to find out what her brother wants and so, with fear and reluctance on her part, they both make the journey into the heart of China. There they find Da Long, a downcast, prematurely-old man, living in abject poverty in a remote village. His wife, Min Fang is now bed-ridden, having been struck down by a mysterious illness which has left her blind, speechless and incontinent. Da Long has asked for Christine’s help because he recalls that, as a child, she had been determined to become a doctor and he thought that she would be able to discover what was wrong with his wife. Not only is Christine unable to help, because she hadn’t been able to fulfil her childhood dream, she also finds that she is reluctant to engage emotionally with her brother. She remains apparently unmoved by the fact that he is so lovingly caring and attentive to the wife he obviously adores.
However, Paul’s sympathy is aroused and, when Christine returns to Hong Kong, he stays on to try to help. It isn’t long before he discovers that other people in the village have also been affected. All his investigative-journalist instincts kick in, encouraging him to investigate further, and to do all he can to help. His enquiries lead him into the murky worlds of big business and politics but even though he is putting himself, and others, in danger, he continues his quest to uncover the truth.
As in all his books, Jan-Philipp Sendker’s ability to make all his characters credibly three-dimensional is one of the real strengths of his writing. Having retained such strong memories of the main characters from the previous book it was easy to immediately re-engage with them. However, it was equally easy to become deeply engaged with all the new characters in this story. I very quickly felt very involved in their struggles, both in their day to day lives, and in their search for justice within a system where all the odds were stacked against them. The relationship between Da Long and Min Fang was so touching that I was frequently moved to tears – as Da Long observed, when all appeared to be hopeless, “A loving heart never gives up”. I liked the fact that the author found a way of letting his readers into the life of the speechless Min Fang by incorporating short chapters in which she expressed her thoughts and feelings. These added such a rich depth to the developing story.
As in Whispering Shadows there are themes which explore the abuse of power, corporate corruption, the difficulties faced by anyone who attempts to challenge big business or powerful politicians, the disruptions caused by a country facing rapid political and economic changes, comparisons between Eastern and Western attitudes and mores, determinism versus fatalism – I could go on! However, at no point did I ever feel that these explorations became any sort of political rant; the author was skilful at making them part of a tension-filled and very moving story about interesting, often flawed human beings.
He highlights differences between Eastern and Western cultures in ways which are thought-provoking, showing how these differences can often interfere with effective communication. This theme alone would make this an ideal choice for reading groups; it would definitely stimulate some lively discussion!
The author’s writing style is so lyrical and introspective that at times I found myself re-reading certain passages in order to enjoy them anew. His stories are full of empathy, compassion and a deep understanding of relationships; they deserve to be savoured and reflected upon. I am now eagerly anticipating the publication of the final part of this trilogy – it can’t come soon enough for me!

Ginny Moon is now fourteen years old but when she was nine she was removed from her neglectful, abusive and drug-addicted mother, Gloria, as well as the threats posed by a succession of her mother’s violent boyfriends. Following this traumatic experience she was placed in a number of different foster and “forever” homes but always had to be moved on, either because she couldn’t settle or because her carers couldn’t cope with her behaviour. However, she is now living in what everyone hopes will be her final “forever home”, with “forever parents” Maura and Brian, who want to love and support her as she grows up. Playing flute in the school band, a keen basket-ball player and a huge fan of Michael Jackson, Ginny may seem like any ordinary teenager; however, she is also autistic, with all the challenges that this brings.
When Maura becomes pregnant it is suggested that Ginny should care for a plastic electronic “baby”, as a way of preparing her for the new arrival. However, the “baby’s” inconsolable crying reminds her of her Baby Doll, whom she had had to leave behind, in a suitcase under the bed, when she was removed from Gloria. Since then she has always wanted to be able to rescue Baby Doll because she knows her mother is incapable of looking after her. As she becomes determinedly focused on finally achieving this, her developing relationship with Maura and Brian is badly affected and her obsession threatens their future as a family. She seems prepared to do anything – be deceitful, lie and steal – to achieve her goal and they cannot understand why she would want to return to a life which had held such horrors for her, just in order to rescue a doll. Their fragile relationship is increasingly threatened when she unexpectedly makes contact with Gloria and determines to plan her own kidnapping by her mother, just in order to rescue Baby Doll.
Within a few pages of this remarkable novel I found that the literal-minded, determined, inventive and creative Ginny Moon had captivated me! Her powerful voice felt as insistent as her need to find a resolution to her past losses, enabling me to enter into the world of someone whose thought-processes are different from my own. She made me acutely aware of how often we rely on other people being able to understand idioms, conversational “shortcuts” etc as aids to easy communication and therefore how isolating it is for someone who is unable to tune in to these speech patterns. Also, of how we can often make communication more difficult by asking more than one question at the same time – Ginny becomes totally confused unless asked just one question and consequently feels unable to answer because she doesn’t know which question to respond to! Equally, it highlighted how difficult it is to make any sort of meaningful contact when we aren’t able to understand people who are communicating in a different way.
Many of the interactions between Ginny and the various characters in this story failed because of these failures of understanding; Ginny was certainly literal-minded, but at times the adults around her were just as likely to take some of the things she said in an equally narrow, literal way. So, one of the strongest messages which came through from this story is how we all need to try much harder to really listen to the “music behind the words”, to learn to adapt our behaviour when communication is breaking down, rather than just to carry on in familiar ways, hoping that repetition will achieve the desired response!
I thought that the author created authentic voices for each of his characters, not just for Ginny, and his convincing story-telling rapidly drew me into the confusing world they were all experiencing. I have had a lot of experience of placing children with adoptive and foster families and thought that he brought alive, in an entirely credible way, the very real struggles Ginny’s adoptive parents faced when they were confronted with Ginny’s apparent rejection of the loving and caring they were offering her. There was no sugary sentimentality in his descriptions; he didn’t portray them as saintly do-gooders, but as people who, even though they had the best of intentions, sometimes got things wrong. There were times when I felt intensely fearful for Ginny as she exposed herself to dangers she didn’t fully understand. Equally, there were moments when I felt as frustrated with her, and her potentially self-destructive behaviour as I did with her adoptive parents’ increasing irritation and despair in their dealings with her – it felt like being on an emotional roller-coaster which just wouldn’t stop!
I was reminded me of how full of admiration I feel for the resilience and commitment of adoptive and foster parents who are prepared to do all they can to ensure a better future for children who need their care. Of how strong they need to be to understand a child’s emotional links with even the most abusive and brutal birth parents, and of how difficult it must be for them to be able to put aside their own feelings of vulnerability in the face of challenging behaviour in order to respond to a child’s greater emotional fragility. I thought that the author did a good job in making it clear that these families need reliable help and support in order to enable them to cope with the extraordinary challenges they face.
Comparisons with Christopher, the main character in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, are difficult to avoid and, as I had enjoyed that book so much, I feared that Ginny’s voice might not feel so convincing. However, these initial fears were soon dispelled as I became aware that, if anything, I felt much more drawn into the inner-workings of Ginny’s mind and the lasting impact her past experiences had had on her. I know that she will remain vivid in my memory for a very long time – she certainly lives up to the “original” in the book’s title!
This was a haunting and unforgettable book to read and would be a wonderful choice for reading groups as there are so many topics for discussion and debate.