Aftershock: A Novel

In 1976, a 7.6-scale earthquake rocked the region around Tangshan, China. Hundreds of thousands died, and hundreds of thousands more struggled for survival after houses, essential services, and bridges were leveled. Thirty years later, one survivor Xiaodeng is an acclaimed writer in Toronto, Canada, but is still haunted by the events of that day, when she was just a child. She tries to piece together her personal life, now falling apart. In reconstructing her life by reliving its historical course, she rediscovers herself and reconnects with her Chinese roots.

Author Zhang Ling’s mastery of language and storytelling is profound. She relates this story in non-linear fashion, yet each piece seems well-connected with the prior piece and show more never awkward. She enmeshes the reader with the complex story of this one family, which comes to involve multiple family units. She draws out the protagonist’s deep-seated emotional wounds that, even decades later, still haven’t healed into livable scars. Ling doesn’t merely expose these hurts, however, by showing them the light of day; she brings the characters – and empathetic readers – towards a healthier emotional place in the end.

The original Chinese version of this tale was adapted into an award-winning movie in China. Although Zhang Ling has tried her hand at writing in the English language more recently, it was left to Shelly Bryant to translate this book for the English-speaking world. The translations is fluid and clear. Ling is clearly comfortable with both Canadian and Chinese cultures and moves readers seamlessly across both settings. She reminds us that despite our differences, all too amplified by politicians and journalists, our common humanity unites us in the most important ways.

Lovers of literary fiction will love this complicated, ornate story whose pieces form a beautiful whole. Many English speakers who appreciate Chinese culture will also fancy this tale. The Chinese community in Toronto, large in number and featured in this book, will especially relate to this book’s marriage of their two rich heritages. I find all of Zhang Ling’s writings evoke sentiments deep in my heart, and Aftershock is no exception. It draws on many foundational human themes in an artful way that bring me to a therapeutic place. show less