Book Review: The Middle Kingdom by Andrea Barrett

The Middle Kingdom
By Andrea Barrett

Grace Hoffmeier comes to China as the dutiful wife of her respected scientist husband, traveling to Beijing for an international conference on the effects of acid rain. But when events take an unexpected turn, Grace finds herself suddenly falling out of her troubled marriage and in love with the wonders of the country she has just begun to discover.

The story of Grace's trip to China forms the central and climactic plotline of Barrett's novel, but much of the story is told in flashbacks, taking the reader through Grace's disastrous first marriage, her transition from artist to lab assistant, and the resulting relationship with Professor Hoffmeier.

Barrett's descriptions are vivid and original, and the book in populated with an extensive cast of interesting supporting characters. In fact, some of the minor characters are interesting enough that I was left wanting more of a chance to get to know them.

The heroine herself can be frustrating at times. She gets obsessive about her weight, reacts to trying circumstances with bad decisions and binge eating, and dwells on her failings more than her triumphs. But she does have triumphs, and the story of her finding her own path is eventually a liberating one.

The story opens in the midst of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and then flashes back to 1986 and the acid rain conference in Beijing. I would have liked to see a brief return to the opening scenario at the end of the book. I definitely felt that there was more to Grace's story than what was told here.

The depictions of Chinese culture, politics, and language were all very strong, as was the author's knowledge of the study of ecology. These details, along with the vivid characters, paint an engaging picture that holds the reader's attention all the way through.