Single Swallow

The English translation of Zhang Lings novel, "The Bones of the Earth," is about the devastation of war, forgiveness, redemption, and the enduring power of love. It follows the lives of three men who made a pact to return to their Chinese village after their deaths, and the woman they loved, Ah Yan, who had suffered unspeakable atrocities and found the grace to survive.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2020
Publisher: Amazon Publishing

The eagerly awaited English translation of award-winning author Zhang Lings epic and intimate novel about the devastation of war, forgiveness, redemption, and the enduring power of love.

On the day of the historic 1945 Jewel Voice Broadcast, in which Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender to the Allied forces, bringing an end to World War II, three men, flush with jubilation, made a pact. After their deaths, each year on the anniversary of the broadcast, their souls would return to the Chinese village of their younger days. It was where they had fought—and survived—a war that shook the world and changed their own lives in unimaginable ways.

Now, seventy years later, the pledge is being fulfilled by American missionary Pastor Billy, brash gunners mate Ian Ferguson, and local soldier Liu Zhaohu. All that's missing is Ah Yan—also known as Swallow—the girl each man loved, each in his own profound way.

As they unravel their personal stories of the war, and of the woman who touched them so deeply during that unforgiving time, the story of Ah Yan's life begins to take shape, woven into view by their memories. A woman who had suffered unspeakable atrocities and yet found the grace and dignity to survive, she had been the one to bring them together. And it is her spark of humanity, still burning brightly, that gives these ghosts of the past the courage to look back on everything they endured and remember the woman they lost.

The men's journey takes them through the trenches of the Chinese countryside, where they fought side by side against the Japanese forces. They relive the horrors of war, the loss of friends and comrades, and the devastating impact it had on their lives.

As they search for Ah Yan, they come across a group of Chinese villagers who are living in poverty and oppression under the rule of the Japanese occupiers. The men are moved by the villagers' resilience and determination to survive, and they decide to help them in any way they can.

Through their efforts, the men are able to provide the villagers with food, medicine, and other supplies, and they also help them to establish a school and a community center. The villagers are grateful for the men's help, and they begin to see them as friends and allies rather than enemies.

As the men continue their search for Ah Yan, they begin to uncover the truth about her past and the reasons why she was separated from them. They learn that she had been forced to marry a Japanese soldier, and that she had been subjected to unspeakable cruelty and abuse.

Despite the pain and suffering that Ah Yan had endured, the men are determined to find her and bring her back to them. They travel to Japan, where they confront the soldier who had married Ah Yan and demand that he release her.

The soldier is initially resistant, but the men's determination and the villagers' support convince him to release Ah Yan. The men are overjoyed to be reunited with Ah Yan, and they promise to help her rebuild her life and find happiness.

In the end, the men's journey is not just about finding Ah Yan, but about finding themselves and their own sense of purpose. They learn that forgiveness, redemption, and the enduring power of love can help them to overcome the scars of war and find hope for the future.

The English translation of Zhang Ling's novel is a powerful and moving testament to the human spirit's resilience and the power of compassion. It is a story that will touch the hearts of readers and inspire them to believe in the possibility of a better world.

Weight: 364g
Dimension: 152 x 227 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781542041508