Asking Heaven

Name: Asking Heaven
ISBN: 9787539956947

Xu KaizhenSep 2023

3.2

Word count: 228K words
Chapters: 46
ISBN: 9787539956947

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Summary

In a city in western China, desert-control expert Zheng Dayuan dies suddenly, leaving behind an unfinished cause and an unresolved emotional entanglement. Sand-country villagers fight for water; power struggles roil the desert research institute; a new generation of desert-control specialists shoulders the burden, navigating between competing departmental interests, between city and sand country, between duty and love. Ultimately, with the help of Vice Governor Zhou Xiaozhe—a man of justice and vision—they defeat those who see only short-term gain, raise the banner of desert control in the west, and benefit the people.

Editor's review

Set against desert control efforts in western China, this novel embeds the public issue of ecological governance in individual fates and bureaucratic maneuvering. Zheng Dayuan, a desert-control expert, dies unexpectedly, leaving behind unfinished work and emotional entanglements, while a new generation of desert fighters struggles to advance their work amid water disputes, institutional power struggles, and shuttling between city and sand country. The appeal of the book lies in weaving responsibility, interest, and emotion into forces that drive the plot, making desert control not merely a technical problem but a matter of choices between people. The narrative pace is steady, in the manner of realistic fiction, and suits readers who enjoy contemporary social-issue novels and prefer continuous reading in a single block of time. While reading, pay attention to the differing motivations of characters in various positions to appreciate the complexity of coordinating parties in grassroots governance, and use the book as a way to engage with real issues of ecological construction in western China.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Contemporary fiction readers who enjoy realistic themes and grassroots governance stories
Readers interested in social issues such as ecological governance and desert-control efforts
Readers who prefer plots about characters choosing between responsibility and emotion
General readers who want to learn about life in western China's sand country through fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong suspense, reversals, and fast-paced plots
Readers who want only purely popular-science knowledge about desert control
Readers who prefer lighthearted humor or romantic fantasy

Reading tips

First clarify the relationships among Zheng Dayuan, the new-generation experts, and the vice governor before entering the plot.
Pay attention to the passages on water disputes and bureaucratic maneuvering, and treat them as clues to understanding governance difficulties.
After reading, look up public reports on desert control in western China and compare them with the real background.

FAQ

Is this novel based on real events or is it a fictional story?

According to available information, this is a novel by Xu Kaizhen; the characters and plot are literary fiction, set in a city in western China. It uses desert-control efforts to present real issues, but it should not be read as documentary reporting or local historical material; readers should distinguish literary narrative from real events.

Is the desert-control content in the novel highly technical?

The book focuses on characters' fates, interest struggles, and emotional entanglements; desert control is the cause that drives the story, not a technical manual. Readers do not need ecological knowledge to read smoothly, and those interested in desert control itself can consult relevant popular-science materials separately.

In what state is it suitable to read this book?

This is a realistic full-length novel whose plot advances through character relationships and conflicts of interest. It suits continuous reading in a single block of time so that characters and departmental threads can be remembered. If one only skips through it in scattered moments, it is easy to lose track in the passages of multi-party maneuvering.

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About the author

Xu Kaizhen Author · China · 1966

Xu Kaizhen, born in Gansu in 1966, is a contemporary Chinese novelist and a contracted writer with the Gansu Provincial Literature Academy. He previously served as a government secretary and a deputy general manager of a state-owned enterprise before resigning from public office in 2002 to devote himself to writing, an experience that gave him close insight into the workings of officialdom and state-owned enterprises. His works are mostly drawn from real social life, commonly categorized as social fiction, fine fiction, and war and military fiction. Representative works include The Political and Legal Secretary, The Provincial Party Committee Team, Crackdown on Organized Crime, and Past Events in Liangzhou. In 2011 he ranked 22nd on the sixth Chinese Writers Rich List, and several of his works have been adapted for film and television. The library holds 30 of his works, noted for their realistic observation and narrative tension.