This is a book related to the definition of contemporary Chinese "family." In this context the "Family" includes not only the author and the reader but also those who live together or who aren't even acquainted. This book is about people living in and outside these situational-drawing style stories, in between the author's narratives and in our own lives.
"Sweet River" is a record of China's urbanization. Each character is experiencing a day-to-day life without seeing what's waiting ahead, and this is precisely what anyone living in China may experience. In an interconnected space-time setting, within 11 short stories, 20 characters live their life while playing their parts in others'. From the narrow stairs at Shikumen Shanghai to the dried river bed in northern China, from the twinkle-eyed little girl to the staggering old lady, the author uses her words for a miniature painting on all kinds of people living in China undergoing this great wave of urban growth.
The "Neo Native-soil Literature"— A literary Masterpiece that reflects everyone living in China.