Little Wonder by Sophie Chen Keller

genre: contemporary fiction

When Song decides to make the journey from her hometown to Beijing, it is because she knows that her son River has a gift. His way with the piano is so unique and almost magical that she knows their way out of desperate poverty is for him to make it as a performer. But on the day the arrive at the train station, Song and River become separated and in a city with millions of people, finding each other again will take a miracle.

I genuinely enjoyed this novel of found family and the love between mothers and their children. This book absolutely immersed me in Chinese life, both in rural, poverty stricken areas, and in the slums and bougie private compounds of big cities. I loved how much of it was about the power of music and it is clear from the writing that the author is a musician. The back and forth in time at the beginning never bothered me because I appreciated the backstory and the ending felt just right, even if it wasn’t a “happily ever after.”