I just finished reading Rachel Dewoskin's Foreign Babes In Beijing, a memoir of the author's life in China's capital during the mid to late 90s. For any just coming to or arriving in China, the book is a great supplemental read to your standard collection of guidebooks; and for those of us that have been here a while, it offers enough relatable anecdotes and "way it was" stories to keep it interesting.
When I first picked up the book, I wrongly assumed that it was going to be a staunchly female perspective on life in China, working to show women that China is indeed open to their visits as well. I was quite wrong. Dewoskin gives a well-rounded, and well-researched peek into post-post reform China.
[read the entire review at The Lost Laowai blog]
