Review: The Light of Eternal Spring by Angel Di Zheng

Aimee is a photographer. She spends her life taking photos and making art because she hopes to fall into a photo again, like she did when she was 8-years old and discovered her love for New York. Upon discovering her mother has died, she and her husband, David, decide to travel to her childhood town in China, Eternal Spring, and what unfolds is a beautiful and heart wrenching story or reconnection with family and an exploration of identity.

Through the story, Aimee’s artistic perspective is intertwined with the memories of her mother’s stories creating an introspective journey into her identity, the fabrication of memory, and the feeling of disconnection that occurs when you feel you belong in more than one place and with more than one family - and also how you can create something new and inspiring if you take the time to embrace all parts of your identity. 

From the beginning of Aimee’s journey, I was hooked. This short novel packs a punch of emotions and I admit, I’m still thinking about the stories within the story and how they connect to other aspects in Aimee’s journey. It is a fantastic delve into literary fiction and the difficult reconciliation of identity for immigrants. 

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. The opinions in this review are my own.