9 ▁Governor ▁General ' s ▁Awards . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Ji ay ang ▁F an , ▁a ▁staff ▁writer ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁called ▁Do ▁Not ▁Say ▁We ▁Have ▁Nothing ▁" a ▁power fully ▁exp ans ive ▁novel ", ▁specifically ▁calling ▁Th ien ' s ▁" Book ▁of ▁Records " ▁the ▁root ▁of ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁" remark able ▁authentic ity ". ▁Jenn ifer ▁Senior , ▁another ▁writer ▁for ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁book ▁" im press es ▁in ▁many ▁sens es . ▁... ▁It ▁successfully ▁expl ores ▁larger ▁ideas ▁about ▁politics ▁and ▁art . ▁... ▁It ▁has ▁the ▁satisfying , ▁ep ic ▁swe ep ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁Russian ▁novel , ▁sp anning ▁three ▁gener ations ▁and ▁la pping ▁up ▁against ▁the ▁sh ores ▁of ▁two ▁contin ents ". ▁ ▁On ▁a ▁similar ▁ve in , ▁Brian ▁Beth une , ▁a ▁writer ▁for ▁Mac lean ' s , ▁called ▁the ▁novel ▁" a ▁worthy ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁Governor ▁General ' s ▁Award ". ▁High light ing ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁interaction ▁" with ▁history ▁and ▁memory ▁in ▁[ an ] ▁extra ordin arily ▁del icate ▁fashion ", ▁Beth une ▁claimed ▁that ▁" it ▁is ▁a ▁story ▁of ▁such ▁beauty ▁that ▁it ▁prov okes ▁a ▁par ado x ical ▁hope ". ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁announ cement ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁G iller ▁Prize , ▁Mark ▁Med ley ▁of ▁The ▁Glo be ▁and ▁Mail ▁wrote ▁that ▁" while ▁M