A SINGLE SWALLOW

Translated into English by Shelly Bryant, Zhang Ling's 2017 novel tells the story of a woman, Ah Yan, through the memories of three ghosts who loved her: Chinese soldier Liu Zhaohu, American missionary Pastor Billy, and American naval officer Ian Ferguson. The three men, who fought together in a Chinese village against Japanese invasion, reminisce on their first loves amid war and immense suffering. Zhang, a writer born in the 1950s, has published nine novels. A Single Swallow is her latest.