Rabbit in the Moon

by: Deborah & Joel Shlian

Published by: Oceanview Publishing

Reviewed by Beth Cummings

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.