To sip a nice cup of coffee, reading a book in a quaint town somewhere in the countryside.

Its a simple dream yet simplicity is often unachievable. I am taking a longer route towards my goals because I am wilfully insisting on not compromising and taking an easier option.



Just finished a book 《大漠谣》(Ballad of the Desert) written by the author of 《步步惊心》(Scarlet Heart). Set against one of the greatest times in Chinese history, the Han Dynasty, the main character, Jingyu, had a very complex background. She was a orphan who was raised by the wolves, later adopted by a Han who was the teacher of the Xiongnu (non-Han ethnic minority)Royalties. In contrast to the emotional nature of Ma'ertai Ruoxi in Scarlet Heart, Jingyu was by nature a more optimistic person. Being brought up in the desert, her survival instrincts were honed by the harsh environment, making her fiercely independent and not at as delicate as Ruoxi in many situations. Her unrestrained nature had made this book a lighthearted read as compared to Scarlet Heart. Even the author mentioned at the epilogue that history had determined the sad ending of Scarlet Heart and she could only lead the story to its pre-set ending with a sad note and a heavy heart as historical events unfold. That was why upon completion of Scarlet heart, she immediately started on this book and decided to give this story a different feel compared to the previous one. It kept me flipping from page to page on my first read. Given my rather poor understanding of Han dynasty history, it took me two readings to comprehend the intricacies of the relationship between the many different influential families which was the focus of the second part of the book.I am impressed by the ability of the writer to merge history and the story seamlessly together.

This book will be adapted into a drama series and I am looking forward!

A sudden urge to visit Dunhuang as well after reading this book :) According to records of the Great Historian, Dunhuang was an area dominated by the Xiongnu in third century B.C. but came under Chinese rule during the Han Dynasty after Emperor Wu defeated the Xiongnu in 121 BC. Using my limited knowledge of Chinese history and geography, I suppose this should be the place mentioned in the book as where the main female character grew up and where she returned to when the story ended. A trip to the desert seems like an interesting option next summer.