(Reviewed by JD Jung)
Not every marriage is a happy one, and Min-Hui’s relationship with Chien-I is far from perfect. Having married the son of a professor she was close to, Min-Hui has often wondered whether Chien-I married her out of pressure from his father. She soon discovers that making him happy is no easy task.
When Chien-I announces a business trip from Taiwan to Beijing and then disappears for more than a year, Min-Hui is left with unanswered questions. Was he kidnapped, or did he simply want to escape their marriage? Determined to find out, she leaves her life as a writer in Taiwan and travels to Beijing, enlisting the help of his coworkers and even government officials.
Her search becomes more complicated when she encounters Wang Shangun, a political activist in hiding who needs her assistance. But Min-Hui remains focused on finding her husband and salvaging a marriage she has often questioned.
In To the East of the East, Taiwanese author Ping Lu explores the complexities of marriage, human relationships, personal desires, and the quest for freedom. A historical novel that Min-Hui is writing provides an additional layer to the story, although I felt that this subplot occasionally slowed the narrative.
What I particularly appreciated was Lu’s willingness to explore the tensions and ambiguities of human relationships without oversimplifying them. The characters are well developed, and the suspense builds as we try to understand what happened to Chien-I, as well as the motivations of all the characters.
I hope more of Ping Lu’s work will be translated into English. Her insightful exploration of human psychology deserves a wider audience.