Sky Burial - Xinran
In the interests of honesty I should admit, the only reason I picked up this book to read was the A to Z Challenge, because, well, they’re not that many authors out the whose names start with “X” are there!
It’s not to say I didn’t want to read the book, I’m not going to choose to read a book “just because” it’ll help out with a challenge, there still needs to be that “read me” element in there, somewhere.
I do vaguely remember the book first coming out and receiving decent reviews, so as it looked interesting, and as I say, hey it’s an “X” author, so why not?
This is where these challenge things really come into their own, bringing books into your life that for what ever reason would normally pass you by.
And that is the case with Sky Burial, I read the book over four or five days traveling to work and back, and it was wonderful step out my the modern Western world, to immerse myself in to Tibetan life and Wen’s search for the 20 minutes or so trip takes each way.
The story is a simple one: Shu Wen meets her intelligent, idealistic husband-to-be while they are both training to be doctors. After less than 100 days of marriage, Kejun travels to Tibet as a Chinese army doctor and before long, Shu Wen is notified that he has died in an “incident”. Shu Wen decides to join the army herself, travel to Tibet and find out if he really is dead, and if so, how and why he died.
And then, as if travelling to a closed country like Tibet as a young woman in the 1950s is not difficult enough, Shuwen quickly becomes separated from her unit and, close to death herself, is taken in by a family of Tibetan nomads. Her transformation from Chinese doctor to nomadic Buddhist is a long, painful and at many turns, deeply distressing one.
Beautifully written, you’ll lose all sense of time (just like Wen whose search spans 30 years), this is a story that will worm it’s way under your skin and its magic will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
I suspect that many (okay, many fellow men 
) will be put off by the phrase “love story” in the strapline, which is a shame, because this isn’t really a romance story, it is really is, a love story of the country and people of Tibet and the different lives they lead.
Rating: 
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I’ve never heard of this book - but it sounds like one worth a read. By the way - I know I’ve said this before but I really like this theme you’ve got here - I like it even more than mine!
Thanks, I really like it as well, took me a little while though as I preferred the grey one at first!
Bart’s last blog post: Booking Through Thursday: Other Worlds
This sounds really good, and I think it’s neat how you ‘discovered’ the book. I’ve been doing the 888 challenge this year, and I’ve read quite a few books that I’m sure I wouldn’t have had they not fit into a category I was working on.
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I like the title. Seems like timeless book. I will check it out!
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I know it’s been a while since you posted, but had to jump in and say you’ve chosen an excellent book. I grabbed the book when I was visiting China; the title and cover caught my attention and since I was picking up The Good Women of China by the same author, I figured why not? LOL
It’s wonderful that a man can read the book and take something precious away from it. I hope that more men will come across it and not be put off by the subject matter. It really isn’t a romance at all, but about timeless love, compassion, and growth.
(As an aside, I’ve not heard of the A-Z challenge and since this is the second reference I’ve seen, I’m not immensely curious.)
Ann-Kat´s last blog post: Review: Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet by Xinran Xue
@Ann-Kat: Hi!, thanks for dropping by!
I have to say I really enjoyed the atmosphere created in the book, and it is a shame it might be misconstrued as a ‘romance’ novel, when it is so much more than that.
Thanks for the warm welcome, Bart. And you’re right, it is a shame. Luckily there are reviews penned by men (like you) who, I hope, will set those people straight.
Also, just caught an error in my previous comment…”I’m not immensely…” should be “I’m now immensely…” LOL
By any chance, do you have any links to the A-Z challenge?
Ann-Kat´s last blog post: Review: Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet by Xinran Xue
@Ann-Kat:
http://a-zreadingchallenge.blogspot.com/