The story is filled with love, respect, faith, friendship, fate, and destiny

Captivating from the very beginning.

The characters are portrayed succinctly and vividly. The writer has imparted them with life and vibes.

Everything related to China…its history, folklores, customs, foods, and famous people are so well explained that Western readers would scarcely have any difficulties at all to follow the story.

The story of China during that time would be as exotic as us reading about England in the Victorian era. Different cultures. Different times.

There are unexpected and sometimes sad surprises in the story, full of twists and turns.

The writer writes in good and charming diction, using metaphors to paint vivid imageries. For a writer (who grew up in Hong Kong) whose mother tongue is not English, this is entirely remarkable and laudable.

The novel shows the writer’s great respect and reverence to the peoples and their cultures in China and Southeast Asia. Their traditions and way of living are brought to life.

The author’s inner thoughts about fate and destiny are shared intimately with the reader through the characters in the story.

In the novel, the writer offers readers an endearing and thought-provoking look of the main religions in Asia. Next to the influence of Christianity through American missionaries, the doctrines and beliefs of Lao Tzu, Confucius and Buddha are also presented, but without being preachy.

I must admit I enjoyed reading the story tremendously. The reading was unstoppable, so much so that I finished the book just within a few days.

Could this novel be a prelude to a sequel? I dearly hope so

The Chinese saga, "Shimmering Across Time" about a generational family in China during the late 18th century kept me entertained for days! The amazing history into the lives of these gentle people, their customs, but the terrible sorrows they had to endure. A very dangerous time to be alive

Amazing reading story about the life of people in 18 Century China. It hard to put the book down while reading. An excellent book

After a few chapters of the reading. I was transported into the same raft with the characters. I was relaxing with the peaceful part of the journey, the tranquility of the scenery. However, journey would very soon reached to the point where war and the current events intercepted. It echoes easily because of my personal experience and knowledge with some part of the history. It’s a very honest presentation of the Confucius culture .

As an immigrant to my adopted country, my experience resonates with those of the characters in the novel: the excitement, the nervousness, the helplessness, the happiness and the dream for a better life in a foreign and strange place. This novel touches on some traditions and custom in China and Southeast Asia which are colourful and interesting. While reading the lineage and heritage of the characters, I was also curious about my own lineage and heritage. If the readers are up to the challenge, they may want to answer the philosophical questions about life posted by the author.

I love a good book that helps me imagine what it was like to live during another time and learn about a different part of the world!