China hand

In Spacek's debut novel, an American Ivy League university graduate embarks on a year of teaching in China, unaware he's in for the adventure of his life. In 1998, one of Andrew Callahan's professors at Harvard recommends that he spend a year at the International Affairs University in Beijing, post-graduation. He eagerly accepts but soon realizes things may not be what they seem. During his time in Beijing, Andrew's opinions of Chinese society are challenged and, sometimes, reinforced, as when he sees a tent village in the middle of a city: "I remembered that one of the first words I had learned in Chinese class was chi ku, which meant 'eat bitterness.' It could describe how migrants endured hardship, but it was also applied to the resilience of Chinese people as a whole." Andrew befriends Will Carter, a fellow American teaching at the university; he also quickly develops an interest in the dean's assistant, Lily Jiang, who's also the daughter of a high-ranking Chinese general. Andrew and Lily form an illicit relationship, and before long, he becomes embroiled in a spy mission that puts the lives of Lily and her family--as well as his own--in jeopardy; it all leads to an action-packed conclusion. Spacek tackles complex topics in this thriller, such as international relations at the turn of the millennium and how the relationship between two global superpowers affects their respective citizens; at one point, for example, Andrew reflects while reading Chinese students' essays about attending American universities and bringing back tech: "Our neoliberal economic professors…had emphasized the benefits of the free flow of labor and goods but, frankly, I was having second thoughts after noting how many of my students considered the theft of intellectual property a national prerogative." The writing style is tight and eschews extraneous details. The pacing is similarly controlled; Andrew and Lily's relationship develops naturally, and the rising action doesn't feel rushed. The characters are also likable and easy to root for when they face seemingly impossible odds. A tense political story of espionage and intrigue. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.