River of dust

Although I have frequently traveled to China and have read both fiction and nonfiction about the country, I was not familiar with the period described in this novel. It is set in 1910, just before the end of the Imperial era and shortly after the Boxer Rebellion. I found the setting in time and place fascinating, and the characters of the Reverend and his wife, Grace, are both satisfyingly complex–virtuous people who are deeply flawed. The novel, it seems to me, gives an accurate portrayal of the Western approach to China even now, tainted with ignorance and arrogance.

It's a wonderful novel that I would recommend to anyone.