s . ▁Th ien ▁has ▁long ▁been ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁[ Can ada ] ' s ▁most ▁tal ented ▁young ▁writers , ▁with ▁her ▁books ▁receiving ▁critical ▁acc laim , ▁the ▁country ' s ▁major ▁literary ▁awards ▁had ▁el ud ed ▁her ▁- ▁until ▁this ▁year ". ▁ ▁Lawrence ▁Hill , ▁a ▁jur or ▁on ▁the ▁panel ▁for ▁the ▁G iller ▁Prize , ▁called ▁the ▁novel ▁a ▁" be aut iful ▁look ▁at ▁the ▁salv ation ▁of ▁music ▁and ▁love ▁and ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁gen o cide . ▁It ’ s ▁a ▁huge ▁ep ic ▁novel ▁told ▁in ▁an ▁unusual ▁way ▁– ▁without ▁a ▁single ▁protagon ist , ▁without ▁a ▁single ▁struggle . ▁It ’ s ▁a ▁challeng ing ▁book , ▁and ▁you ▁have ▁to ▁work ▁to ▁read ▁it ". ▁ ▁Bron w yn ▁D rain ie ▁of ▁the ▁Liter ary ▁Review ▁of ▁Canada ▁wrote ▁that ▁Th ien ▁"[ cre ates ] ▁a ▁mem orial ▁for ▁the ▁millions ▁of ▁lives ▁lost , ▁disappeared , ▁sh rive led ▁or ▁was ted ▁during ▁not ▁just ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁Ma o ’ s ▁reign ▁but ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁fam ine ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁and ▁forward ▁to ▁the ▁dashed ▁hopes ▁of ▁T ian an men ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁That ▁is ▁some ▁accomplish ment ". ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : 2 0 1 6 ▁Canadian ▁nov els ▁Category : G overn or ▁General ' s ▁Award - win ning ▁nov els ▁Category : Sc oti ab ank ▁G iller