A novel tale of life and death in rural China

Centered on a deified midwife, Hu Xuewen's unique story paints a picture of pastoral problems, proclivities and perseverance, Yang Yang reports.

It is hard to summarize the novel You Sheng (Hope and Life) by Hu Xuewen, which extends for 938 pages and is narrated in a structure that the writer depicts as "umbrella-shaped".

Half of the 20 chapters are devoted to the recollection of the past by centenarian midwife Qiao Damei, or the "Great Grandmother", which constitutes the shaft of the "umbrella", and the remaining chapters recount the stories of five other characters, which form the canopy. The narration travels back and forth between the present and the past.

"It's my notion of good novels that they should not be easily summarized, but can provide space for different interpretations," Hu tells China Daily.