Fantastic. I could not put it down. Drew me in and then haunted me when I put it down.

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For some reason I could not get into this book. I tried a number of times to read it and never could. Maybe I was not in the mood for something quite so dismal.

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This a a book your can't put down. No wonder it was a National Book Award Finalist!

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The author might have taken on more than he can chew with this first book. It starts out awesome. Unlike others, I loved the foray into missionary life in Asia during the turn of the century. It gave me a glympse into the mind-set of that age. I also loved the conversion of the masses vs. sustaining culture battle of the story. However, toward the end, the author just seemed to want to be done with the story. The characters get flat and the plot goes into the fantastical to create a platform to end the story quickly.

My advice: definitely get this book, but when the opium man comes knocking... skim to the end.

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