On the windswept plains of northwestern China in 1910, Mongolian nomads swoop down upon an American missionary couple and kidnap their young child. In this story of retribution, these foreigners search for their lost son in a dangerous land that comes to haunt them and change not just what they believe but who they are.
“Terrific, tremendous, wonderful...a strong
beautiful, deep book.”
—Annie Dillard
“Virginia Pye’s River of Dust is a remarkable
novel in the ways that delight me the most:
It has a compelling narrative voice, a dynamic
story and a deep resonance into the universal
human condition, all of which is inextricably
bound together. This is a major work by a
splendid writer.”
—Robert Olen Butler
“A vividly imagined and beautifully drawn
picture of the life of Christian missionaries
in China in the early 20th century.”
—Jung Chang
