Having read Peter Hessler’s memoirs on his first two years in China, I feel that many of the questions I would have asked were answered, rocks that I would have peeked under, lifted. I’m also left with great respect for the effort expended to build a bridge over the linguistic and cultural gap strong enough to support the development of meaningful friendships and the deeper cultural understanding that they afford. I couldn’t have asked for a more intimate peek into China’s fascinating people and culture.