Book Review: LINGHUN by Ai Jiang

There was one word that kept coming to mind as I read LINGHUN over the space of two days: Beautiful. I think it's the only word that truly does this book justice. Ai Jiang's debut novella is beautiful in its originality; beautiful in its heartfelt examination of grief; beautiful in its subtle, unsettling social commentary; beautiful in its depiction of the human need for connection and community. And Jiang does this all in beautifully understated prose that gives the story's deep universal themes much-needed room to breathe, ultimately creating space for the reader to connect more personally with the text - and their own emotions. LINGHUN is a miraculous novella that will haunt you long after you've read the last beautiful, heartbreaking sentence.