The Ginseng Hunter, Jeff Talarigo
The Ginseng Hunter, Jeff Talarigo
1 Rating(s)
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The Ginseng Hunter

Author: Jeff Talarigo

Narrator: Jaeson Ma

Unabridged: 4 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/15/2009

Synopsis

Set at the turn of the twenty-first century in China along the Tumen River, which separates northeast China and North Korea, The Ginseng Hunter follows the daily life of a Chinese ginseng hunter, who lives alone in the valley, spending his days up in the mountains looking for ginseng and preparing for winter. He is little aware of the world outside until shadowy figures hiding in the fields, bodies floating in the river, and rumors of thievery and murder begin to intrude on his cherished solitude. On one of his monthly trips to Yanji where he buys supplies and visits a brothel, he meets a young North Korean prostitute. Through her vivid tales, the tragedy occurring across the river unfolds, and over the course of the year the hunter unnervingly discovers that the fate of the young woman and those of four others rest in his hands.

About Jeff Talarigo

Jeff Talarigo received the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Rosenthal Award for The Pearl Diver. He is currently a fellow at the New York Public Library’s Cullman Centre for Scholars and Writers and lives in New York City.

About Jaeson Ma

Jaeson Ma is the son of two immigrant parents from China. A classically trained, New York-based theater actor who has appeared on Broadway, Off Broadway, and in numerous regional theaters, he has done extensive work in voice-over, specializing in Asian accents. He has provided voices for Vietnamese, Thai, and Japanese subjects for such shows as ABC News, Primetime Live, and 20/20.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Taryn

This is a story about life in China near the border river of Tumen. This is a sad, hard story about a middle-aged man simply known as the Ginseng Hunter who, you guessed it, hunts the ginseng plant. He performs this occupation in the spring and summer, just to survive vicious winters. But truth be t......more

Goodreads review by Linda

Although this story takes place in the 1990s, it feels in its simplicity like the characters exist in a much older time. It tells of a traditional Chinese ginseng hunter who lives along a remote stretch of the the river separating China from North Korea, and his observances of and ultimate involveme......more

Quotes

“The beauty and power of the ginseng root; the respect of the hunter for the thing he hunts—all this lies in such sharp contrast to the wasted life and utter lack of humanity elsewhere on these pages.” Los Angeles Times

“Talarigo is well on his way toward establishing himself as a quiet witness to humanity…An expert at luring us out of our comfort zones to bear witness with him, he also gives us quiet heroes who do not give in, who do not give up. What we ultimately choose to do with both the devastation and the hope that we witness is up to us.” Christian Science Monitor

“Talarigo’s tense, atmospheric second novel movingly dramatizes the human faces behind political oppression…Against a backdrop of stunning scenery and of cruelty, creating a memorable, morally stringent tale.” Publishers Weekly

“By subtly relating the struggle of plant life on the forest floor to the human struggle at the border, Talarigo offers us a novel that is ultimately a study of survival under hostile conditions.” Library Journal

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