River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (P.S.)

Name: River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (P.S.)
Price: 2.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.6 (1278 reviews)
Author: Peter Hessler

by Peter Hessler

Memoir Politics

4.6 (1,278)

4.6 stars from 1,278 reviews. Top 87% of Memoir books we track.

432 pages~7.2 hr readPublished by HarperCollins e-books

$2.99KU80% off peak

Last checked: Jun 1, 2026

Read free with Kindle Unlimited

Price history: $1.99 – $14.99

While not the biggest discount we've seen for this book, it's still a great deal and we recommend grabbing it before price returns to its normal range.

Price range: $1.99 – $14.99

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Perfect for you if...

You're fascinated by how ordinary people navigate massive cultural and historical change, and prefer observation to judgment.
You love memoirs that treat a place as a character in itself, with its own contradictions and competing futures.
You're curious about China beyond the headlines: what daily life actually feels like for people caught between tradition and rapid modernisation.

Maybe not for you if...

You want a straightforward how-to guide for living abroad or practical expat advice.
You're looking for a fast-paced narrative with obvious plot turns and dramatic resolution.
You prefer reading about famous historical events or well-known cities rather than intimate portraits of overlooked places.

About this book

River Town documents Peter Hessler's two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fuling, a remote town in China's Sichuan province in the Yangtze River valley. Hessler was the first American resident in the city in more than fifty years. He taught English and American literature at the local college while his students provided insight into the complexities of cross-cultural understanding. The book portrays Fuling during a period of significant change and growth, capturing the city's efforts to understand both its past and its future. It combines personal observation with broader reflections on life in a rapidly evolving Chinese society.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $14.99

Currently on sale at $2.99 — 80% off peak. Price has dropped 22 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 38 days. Typically stays discounted for 43 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #83K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.6★ from 1,278 reviews

Gaining approximately 4 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.6 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $2.99. It typically returns to around $14.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.