A Single Swallow: a heartbreaking story

A Single Swallow by Zhang Ling, translated by Shelly Bryant is a story about the devastation of war, forgiveness, redemption, and the enduring power of love. On the historic day, August 15, 1945, the Jewel Voice Broadcast aired the speech of Emperor Hirohito which announced Japan’s surrender to the Allied Forces, bringing an end to World War II. Three men made a pact. After their deaths, each year on the anniversary of the broadcast, their souls would return to Yuehu, the Chinese village where they fought and survived in a war that shook the world and changed their lives forever. Now seventy years later, the pledge is being fulfilled by Pastor Billy, an American missionary, Ian Ferguson, a brash gunner’s mate, and Liu Zhaohu, a local soldier. All that is missing is Yao Ah Yan. She was the girl each man loved in his own profound way. As they retell their personal stories of the war and the woman who touched his life, the story of Ah Yan is revealed. What was her story and how did she profoundly influence the lives of these three men? 

A Single Swallow is a beautiful story told from the memories of three dead men who talk about their wartime experiences. Experiences centered around one woman. From the opening chapter, I was pulled into the interesting premise of these men visiting after death. I eagerly turned each page as I read how each man knew this woman and how they changed each other’s lives, for good and bad. It was a book I could not put down. I happened to finish it in a few hours. But the story was so engaging that I barely noticed the time. Ms. Zhang weaves a complex tapestry of cause and consequence that can forever shape one’s life and how our inner strength determines how we respond to those situations and challenges. I also enjoyed the ending and felt it was very fitting. It was a captivating read which figures a part of the World War II story that is overshadowed by stories of the European front. A few reviews I read disliked that Ah Yan’s voice is never heard; however, I enjoyed this aspect as it gave her a mysterious air. I highly recommend A Single Swallow. 

A Single Swallow is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook