Touching, funny and immensely charming. Da Chen's memoir tells of his arrival and his first years in Beijing, arriving an innocent from a rural farm and leaving on a rare and invaluable scholarship to study in the US.
In this second volume of memoir, following his acclaimed , Chen arrives in Beijing. Armed with a dogged determination to learn English and familiarise himself with 'all things Western', he must compete with every other student to win a chance to study in the US - a chance that rests in the shrewd and corrupt hands of the all- powerful professors. In this remarkable book - by turns poetic, ribald, hilarious, and heartbreaking - Chen retains his indomitable spirit, but will he be any closer to attaining his goal?
