Marcia C. reviewed on 6/28/2023 + 670 more book reviews

An extraordinary book, not only for the vast scope of its story but also for the unusual way in which it unfolds. Through diary entries and letters we get peeks into the remarkable life of a Scottish woman in China and Japan from the early 1900s to the era of World War Two. What was so surprising is that on the one hand there is copious detail about some aspects of Mary's life but on the other hand only delicate hints about some of its most emotionally momentous events. As with Chinese or Japanese art, the white space here is very eloquent.

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