River Town

by Peter Hessler

Quickie recap: Hessler spends two years teaching English to Chinese students at a teacher's college as a volunteer for the Peace Corps. The language barrier ends up being the least of them all.

Quickie review: Hessler is a young and somewhat cocky writer whose narrative is often overshadowed by excerpts from his students' writings. However, he finds the delicate balance between appreciation and frustration when writing about his years as a stranger in a strange land, and both his triumphs and his failures become achievements.

Quickie recommendation: China is a rich subject, and this book offers a new and worthy perspective.