Claire M. Caterer

Here we are at the mid-year mark, and Amazon.com editors have chosen the Best Books of the Year (So Far). Peter Hessler’s Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory has earned a spot in the Top 10 of the overall list, and I must say, deservedly so. Last year I proofread the galleys for Country Driving (HarperCollins, $27.99), and it was wonderful to follow Hessler through his life as an American expat living in China. It’s a fascinating true story of how he befriends a rural family and watches the transformation of their village over time. Sometimes very funny, and sometimes very poignant, Hessler’s story is great reading for armchair travelers and anyone interested in the unknowable vastness that is modern China. Pick it up and enjoy!