Perhaps one of the most romantic novels I have ever read, Ai Mi's Under the Hawthorn Tree gave me a strong story of what I always imagined true love to be, if such a thing existed. I'm not a big reader on romance novels and that goes part and parcel with my disbelief of a supposed feeling of love. I assure you this isn't my will of perpetuating masculinity by emphasizing the fact that I, 1) do not read a lot of romance novels and 2) I question the validity of what is commonly conceptualized as love. Having said that, I believe this novel is this epitome of what one would categorize as romance and fits with my cultural definition and conceptualization of love. It was a well-written novel (thanks also to Anna Holmwood for translating) that really made me want to believe that such a thing as love did exist. My point is this: Although I question the validity and what one would consider as love (as I have never personally experienced such a sensation), this novel makes me want to believe in the possibility of being together with a significant other - eternally. While reading this book, I had a lot of questions and felt that my understanding of the characters' backgrounds would be better if I had some knowledge of Chinese history, particularly the Cultural Revolution. Even so, I was interested by what I learned of that time period. I didn't particularly relate to the main character; I feel like she's the type of girl I would have envied/hated in junior high. Despite that, I was engaged in the love story.
What do You think about [Hawthorn Tree Forever] (2010)?
This was a quick easy read and a lovely story but I wasn't crazy about the ending...
—Son
This book gave me lots to think about, which what makes it a good book.
—sroche13
![[Hawthorn Tree Forever] (2010)](/i/cover.jpg)
