It's a coming of age story set in China's Cultural Revolution. The book follows the life of two boys going through "re-education" in a primitive mountain village set during China's Cultural Revolution. It is a story about youth and love and courage, but mostly it's about the transformative power of books. These city boys begin their village life with endless work, such as working the fields and coal mines all day, finding relief only when they discover a hidden stash of European novels.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/10/28/RV236755.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/10/28/RV236755.DTL
