This was such a unique read. We have three separate time periods: Dong Xian in 4 B.C.E. China, He Shican in 1740 China, and River in present day California. Somehow, these three men are linked. The parallels and differences of each time period and linked story were intriguing. I found Dong Xian's portion of the story the most interesting. It's a beginning of sorts and where we learn how the rest of these stories are intertwined. It's not quite what you might assume. I thought I had this story predicted, but it ended up being a bit different than I thought, and I love that. I also thought I might be annoyed by the somewhat vague and ambiguous ending, but it makes sense in my mind to the story that I read. All of these characters are very deeply human in that they are not always very loveable and also very flawed, but honestly, that's a reason I love this story. I fell in love with this story early on, and I stayed hooked the entire time. I'm glad I stepped out of my comfort zone a bit with this one, and it's now a new favorite. It's so good, and I definitely recommend checking it out.