Border Town

Congwen writes movingly of rural China in this newly translated “modern pastoral” coming-of-age tale (first published in English in 1936, and banned in China under Mao's regime) centered on 13-year-old Cuicui. After her mother's death, Cuicui and her grandfather, a ferryman, lead a quiet life transporting passengers across a small stream near the mountain town of Chadong. As Cuicui begins to mature, she catches the eye of the two sons of a wealthy merchant. Her meddlesome but well-intentioned grandfather encourages both of them to woo her. Although the plot rotates around Cuicui's suitors and the old man's attempts to help her make a match, at the heart of the story is the depth of love between Cuicui and her grandfather with the tranquil environment a constant presence and comfort. Congwen paints rapturous images of nature; his writing sings with the joyful sounds of peasant life. Readers not only see rural China, they also hear it—the pounding of drums during the Dragon Boat Festival, the amorous ballads exchanged between young lovers and the songs the ferryman and Cuicui sing together in this vivid window into China's past. (Sept.)