Street of Eternal Happiness

Street of Eternal Happiness *****
by Rob Schmitz

Overview: Rob Schmitz is a journalist living in Shanghai. He gets to know the small shop owners along the Street of Eternal Happiness. He knows the florist, the sandwich shop owner, the baker who sells hot onion pancakes, the couple whose house nearby was destroyed and left them homeless. As he learns about their backgrounds, families, hopes and dreams, he seeks to understand China's history and how it has shaped the Chinese culture today. 

Positive elements: Well-written. Schmitz captures the uniqueness of the each of these colorful Chinese characters. You feel like you are listening in on the screaming fight between the pancake maker and his scheming-to-get-rich wife. You feel the pain of the florist as she worries about her sons' futures and their poor jobs. You feel embarrassed when her son tries to court a country girl and his humiliated and rejected. You are angered when the elderly are taken advantage of in investment schemes.

Negative elements: Chinese history and economics is long and complicated. Parts of the book felt tedious. Parts I skimmed because I didn't care to understand quite so many details. The economy of China isn't something I've thought much about before.

Conclusion: I initially wanted to read this book because my sister-in-law is adopting a boy from China, and I have a friend who has taught English in China for a decade. But as I read, I was so intrigued by the Chinese culture. The Chinese people have been through so much. I loved this quote near the end of the book, "Who would've thought that, fifty years after such violent revolution and catastrophic famine, the Chinese would have enough spirit left in them to dream, much less have the means and freedom to try to pursue them?"

And that quote truly sums up the book. What does it look like when Chinese people of all ages and stations in life dream? 

I would recommend this book to anyone.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.