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SHOU |
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SH OU byDeborah and Joel Shlian To Excel / an imprint of iUniverse.com 419 pages, 2000 ISBN 158348759X Reviewed by Nancy Mehl Read our author interview "Who will care for you if I leave?" Su-Wei asked solemnly, her eyes glistening. He looked at this grave, almond-eyed child forced to grow up so quickly and he yearned to tell her he was on the verge of a great discovery, the key to a secret that would free mankind forever. But he knew she was too young to understand and he didn’t dare let Browning know that he’d already begun testing his theory. Instead he pulled a jade locket on a gold chain from his pocket and fastened it around her neck. Inside he’d placed a picture of his wife so the child would not forget. "Do you know what this means?" he asked, pointing to the gold Chinese letters. "Shou? It means long life," said the child, wiping a tear that had trickled down her cheek. Ni-Fu put his arms around his little daughter and held her close. "Wear this always and never forget that you are Chinese," he whispered in his native tongue. "Someday you will return to your country and we will be together again." He kissed the child good-bye. - From SHOU Su-Wei never forgets her father’s request that she return to her homeland. Even her death can’t take China from her heart. As she dies, she tells her daughter Lili: "Ch’uing tou-chi – the past, child, is a window to oneself. Remember, if you are Chinese, you can never let go of China in your mind. Someday I hope that you will return to China for me. I will live in you now." Lili’s promise to go to China are the last words Su-Wei hears. Lili Quan is an American-born physician, raised in San Francisco. She feels no ties with China, and in fact, is angered by many of its customs and cultural beliefs. She blames her mother’s belief in "joss" - the belief that whatever happens to you is simply your destiny - for her premature death from cancer. Lili feels that her mother should have fought against her disease rather than accept its devastation. Now, she must balance her life as an American doctor against the softly beckoning call of China that speaks to her through her mother’s gentle voice. A touring Chinese professor who has invited Lili to China to study their approach to aging seems to be the answer to her mother’s request. But Doctor Ma-Yen Seng, the medical director of the Xi’an Institute at Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, has his own agenda. And Lili is at the center of his plan. Lili’s grandfather, whom she believed died long ago, is still very much alive in China. He is being kept prisoner by the government. They want the secret of Shou and they intend to force it from him by negotiating with his granddaughter’s life. Lili begins her journey, not knowing that her search for her own identity could lead her down a dark and dangerous trail from which she may never return. Her partner on this trip, a young handsome Taoist sent to accompany her, is divided in his loyalties. He admires Lili’s grandfather, yet Chinese government officials control him. His beloved aunt is the bargaining chip. But Chi-Wen is swept away by the beauty and spirit of Lili, and she begins to find this gentle, spiritual man reaching into a part of her soul where no one has ever been before. SHOU is a gripping story of love, destiny and international intrigue that will remain in every reader's heart and mind, and certainly one of the best mystery/suspense novels I’ve read. The lovely setting and the soul of China make the entire plot rich and compelling. It never overpowers the story - it only supports everything else that makes up this exceptional book. Masterful storytellers, Deborah and Joel Shlian write beautifully and smoothly, taking the reader on an enthralling journey inside the mind of Lili Quan - and inside the mystery and suspense of SHOU. Whatever you read this year, don’t miss SHOU. Highly recommended. |
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