Erin Jamieson

In this family saga spanning more than four decades, Jamieson weaves the story of Bolormaa and Ganbaatar, whose marriage is arranged by their parents. Though they are largely content, their nomadic lifestyle in the Gobi Desert is rife with challenges, from moving their herds to new grazing areas, freak accidents which threaten their lives and livelihood, strained relations with family and neighbors, political pressures beyond their control, and the very elements themselves.

The writing is pretty decent for a first novel, though I grew a tad weary of eyes described as "liquid brown" and "toffee-colored." I found the story and characters realistic and engaging, and I also enjoyed the opportunity to learn a great deal about a culture and country I previously knew very little about. I was genuinely (ignorantly) surprised at the Russian/Communist influences and control in Mongolia during this time period, though in hindsight, it makes perfect sense, being sandwiched between Russia and China. Jamieson's research was clearly extensive. The narrative held up pretty well nearly to the end, until one of the characters had an inexplicable and frankly unbelievable conversion to Christianity. It was at this point I started to get the feeling the author had a personal reason for the conversion, and I immediately wondered if Jamieson would make a religious reference in the acknowledgements (spoiler: yep). I regret that what had otherwise been an engaging and interesting story was suddenly spoiled by the insertion of something completely irrelevant to and incongruous with the entire rest of the book.

I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.… (mehr)

This novel is about changing times, politically and culturally in Mongolia spanning from 1917 to 1960. The story centers on three main characters and how they react to and survive these turbulent years. Balormaa, a young bride and her new husband
Ganbaatar live in the Gobi Desert living a nomadic existence following hundreds of years of their ancestors. It s a very hard life, food is always short and severe weather can kill. Water is a luxury. Aisin is an adopted Chinese neighbor who because of her Chinese heritage is looked down upon. Balormaa and Ganbaatar accept her as a friend and for this Aisin becomes extremely loyal to the couple, especially during all the changes that will be coming due to Russian and Chinese influences on the Mongolian people.
I really enjoyed the descriptions of the Mongolian landscape, harsh but beautiful. The descriptions of the Mongol way of life were quite vivid. The ending seemed a bit rushed but I can live with that. I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to fans of historical fiction. The cover art is gorgeous. 3.5 stars.… (mehr)

I don't know if I've ever read a novel set in Mongolia; I certainly know very little about Mongolian history and its people - something this book introduced me to. The story opens in 1917, in the Gobi Desert, and follows a family as they grow and experience changes which alter their nomadic life. At times, this book reminded me of a Pearl S. Buck novel in that it followed a family as they and the society around them undergo huge shifts. An interesting book and one that introduced me to a country and history I know very little about.… (mehr)