The book is a memoir of Hessler's experience in Fuling, told in first person. The main people featured in the book are Hessler's fellow American teacher Adam, Chinese teachers Liao and Kong who teach the Americans Mandarin, and Anne, one of Peter's brightest students. Hessler uses many Chinese terms to refer to common things or people, as well as to make them seem more typical of Chinese culture. For instance, foreigners are often referred to as waiguoren , girls are called xiaojies , porters are called stick-stick soldiers, and so on. Each chapter includes a short annex which describes Fuling's most notable places in the present tense, whilst normal chapters are set in the past and use the past simple, present perfect and past perfect tenses. Excerpts from writing assignments given to Chinese students are often included. Some of Hessler's students had abortions or committed suicide during his time in Fuling.
Environment
Fuling is very different now than it was during the period when Hessler lived there from 1996 to 1998. There were no streets and highways at the time, and everyday life, the schooling system, working conditions, salaries were much worse than they are now. History also plays an important role in the narrative of the book. For instance, Deng Xiaoping's death and Hong Kong's return gave Hessler a chance to hear opinions of the locals and participate in the celebrations surrounding those events.
University
The campus where Peter Hessler taught was called Fuling Teachers College, a school dedicated to educating teachers. According to the map found in the book, it was located in the Jiangdong area at the time. After Hessler left, the Jiangdong campus became Yangtze Normal University, and eventually the university shut down entirely. Now, the buildings serve as a dormitory for the elderly. In the present day, Fuling Teachers College, together with Yangtze Normal University, is located in the newly built Lidu neighborhood.
Reception
The book won the Kiriyama Prize in 2011, and it has also been named a New York Times Notable Book. Marlene Chamberlain of Booklist stated that "this is a colorful memoir from a Peace Corps volunteer who came away with more understanding of the Chinese than any foreign traveler has a right to expect."
