STRANGE STONES

Hessler's fourth book is a compendium of stories written during his years as the New Yorker's prolific correspondent in China--with a sprinkling of items about his subsequent time in western Colorado. Among his adventures, Hessler eats rats in a restaurant, hikes the Great Wall, drives in Beijing, and interviews Yao Ming. George Backman's narration is clear and evenly paced. He has a deep, warm voice, and his pronunciation of Chinese names is scrupulous. Hessler is a wonderful writer--his homage to writer John McPhee in his introduction is not misplaced. Hessler's natives, Chinese or Coloradan, generally possess a similar sweet innocence. His American ex-pats are benevolent eccentrics. F.C. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2013]