Customer Reviews

Rabbit in the Moon

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wanted to read this book because I wanted to get a flavor of China with the upcoming Beijing Olympics. My budget won't allow me to fly there, but Rabbit in the Moon transported me there in my mind, as I was able to explore China through Lili's eyes. The main character, Lili, is an appealing young woman struggling with her identity--her quest for her roots leads her to gripping excitement and danger. I had so much fun reading this book: Lili's adventures, especially after uncovering a remarkable secret, kept me reading all night, and I finished the book in one sitting. A must-read for fans of thrillers and suspense, as well as everyone who wants to "visit" China in their hearts.

In a year of the Chinese Olympics, one couldn't ask for a better thriller than Rabbit on the Moon by Deboral and Joel Shlianj to focus on the generational differences in China. What a great read! Anyone looking for a mixture of mystery, science and Asian culture can't go wrong by picking up this "unputdownable" novel. From the first pages, one is drawn into the conflict faced by Dr. Lili Quan to either turn her back on her Chinese origins or be drawn back into a world she knows little about in order to fulfill a promise made to her mother. No one could predict how terrifying this experience will turn out to be.

With China very much in our memories because of the Olympics, this novel could not have come out at a better time. I loved every page turning twist and found Lili's predicament one with universal implications.

An ancient Chinese folk tale claims that there is a rabbit in the moon pounding out medicinal elixirs. In 1989 in China the old guard of Maoists were trying to hang onto the old order in the face of student uprisings and demands for more freedom. This uprising led to the now-famous march and massacre in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

The Shlians have used this as the backdrop for this exciting novel. The main character, Dr. Lili Quan, is a Chinese-American working on her residency in geriatric medicine. When her mother dies, she begins to have several interpersonal problems. Just before her death, Lili's mother expressed the wish that Lili would someday visit China. An opportunity arose, sending Lili into a maelstrom of intrigue and espionage. She finds that her grandfather, Dr. Cheng, long believed dead, is alive and working on a secret method to extend human life by 30-40 years or longer. One of his experimental patients is over 120 years old.

However, several unscrupulous individuals within the Chinese government, as well as within the international pharmaceutical and business world, have found out about Dr. Cheng's work. Lili unwittingly becomes a pawn in their illicit plots to learn the secret.

This book has wonderful details and well-developed characters, for the most part. While initially there are quite a few characters and locations to keep straight, by the final fourth of the book they fall into place. The pace of the book starts at a walk and picks up speed at every turn. By the last few chapters it is a page-turner that is difficult to set down.

I also enjoyed the way the authors touched on political, cultural, business and medicinal differences between East and West.

Armchair Interviews says: Most interesting story set in China.

Dr. Lili Quan is a young physician, an American, of Chinese descent. Lili has always considered herself as an American, never appreciating the Chinese language or Chinese customs, never intending to travel to China -- until she honors her mother's dying wish and finds a grandfather she did not know was alive.

Lili's journey though China is so realistic, so touching that the reader will feel as if he/she is her traveling companion. Her journey is anything but routine as Lili is targeted by powerful, evil men intent to use her as a pawn to access her grandfather's stunning research on longevity. She can trust no one, not her American friends, not her new Chinese friends.

Chinese culture, history and humanity as well as the morality of longevity are at the core of this novel which is rich in intrieige and romance.

This is the season for books about China and for fiction lovers, this is a five star treat.

Rabbit in the Moon was an engaging, fast moving, page turning story but what made it special was the combination of Chinese culture and heartwarming family interaction which encompasses all humanity; added to this was the deeply researched political pressures of the time interwoven within the story. All in all a great read.

Great book!
Pushed to finish the book in 3 days. I enjoyed the global intrigue.
The medical details were accurate and involved
life or death situations. The changing world locations reminded me of
some great action movies.
Keith WIntermeyer, M.D.

I have always been a huge fan of anything involving the Orient. And let me tell you, this book did not disappoint me. This book centers around Dr. Lili Quan. She is a young physician, and although she is of Chinese descent, she considers herself and American through and through. She has no desire to learn anything about her culture, but when her mother's dying wish is for her to go to China to find a Grandfather she didn't know existed she decides to go to honor her.

This book is a whirlwind adventure. Having never been to China myself, these authors have the ability to transport you there through their beautiful descriptions. And, the suspense that ensues once Lili reaches China is sure to thrill any reader. This book has a little bit of everything and is sure to be a hit!

I could not put this book down. I was fascinated with this skillful combination of suspense and moving cross cultures.As a physicain I also enjoyed the medical background to the story. A major accomplishment by two gifted writers.
Dalia Kalai, MD

Deborah and Joel Shlian collaborated to create an international thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Set mainly in China, the country on everyone's lips, the novel combines historical fiction, a medical mystery and a love story. The diverse characters are woven together propelling you forward into the mystery. Lili the Chinese American heroine is brave and determined. Someone you can't help rooting for in life and love.
Chinese politics and culture play an important role in the novel to bring in the historical aspects. The novel was extremely well researched and therefore quite enlightening. It was a page turner that I could not put down. Anyone who likes a good mystery or historical fiction will love this book.

The Book, "Rabbit in the Moon" was actually recommended to me on Facebook by the author. Having traveled to China, and enjoyed reading novels and other books about China, I was hooked before checking the book out. I downloaded a sample on my Kindle and started reading, and downloaded the whole book immediately. Then I took a journey with the main character, Lili, as she became aware of her ancestral roots and was drawn in by intrigue and curiosity to travel to China, not really knowing the real reason why she was invited. The book became my world as I read on, revisiting places I had traveled and history I had learned, as I was drawn into the thrilling plot fraught with danger as the net around Lili tightened to snag her. I delighted in Lili's learning the richness of her ancestral company, of learning that her grandfather was alive, and the growing relationship with Chi-When. It was hard to finish the book because I didn't want to leave this world that had become so fascinating and endearing. The book starts with hope, and ends with hope, with an opening for a sequel. I am hoping that one will be written, so I can go back and revisit Lili's world.