Book cover of Grand Canal, Great River

Book description

In July 1170, a Chinese poet, politician and historian made a journey from west to east China. Lu You (pronounced 'loo yo') kept a daily record of his experiences: the people he met, the unfolding landscape and the famous historical sites he visited. What emerges is a detailed panorama of…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Grand Canal, Great River as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I love this translation of a long boat trip up the Yangtze River. Phillip Watson’s interpretation makes the journey seem alive, as if you had just finished sailing upriver with Lu You.

Photographs of modern-day places where the Song dynasty poet travelled bring his adventures to life, as he stops at temples and meets Daoist abbots and Buddhist monks. The river itself hasn’t changed much, making the book a reliable travel companion and guide.

I smiled, and sometimes laughed at loud, at the comments Lu You made about people and small shrines he encountered! And the photographs! Did I mention…

If you love Grand Canal, Great River...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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