I quickly got used to the unusual, staccato prose as I became immersed in the life of Mingzhi. Bound from birth by filial responsibilities, he silently shies away from his Opium-growing grandfather, hoping that his education will offer an escape to a different world. This coming of age family saga brings to life late 19th century China, where new and frightening Western influences clash violently with centuries of tradition, ritual and expectation.
