UFO in Her Eyes

#1009
Title: UFO in Her Eyes
Author: Xiaolu Guo
Translator:
Publisher: Vintage
Year: 2009/2010
Country: People's Republic of China
208 pages

I do have some trouble with Chinese writers on tyranny, since their conclusions seem obvious to me. I have to keep reminding myself that the context in which they're published is much more dangerous than that in which the translation appears.

Here, a peasant may or may not have seen a UFO, which she dutifully reports. From there we observe the attitudes of villagers and outside officials toward each other, and the exploitation of the event. Abuse of power is a strong theme.

Golden Boy: Memories of a Hong Kong Childhood

#985
Title: Golden Boy: Memories of a Hong Kong Childhood
Author: Martin Booth
Publisher: Picador
Year: 2004/2006
Country: Hong Kong [Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China]
352 pages

Booth's memoir recounts a significant time in his life, spent in Hong Kong. It is a fond and in some ways wistful narrative of pre-adolescence, and I enjoyed it very much.