I have just finished Peter Hessler's Country Driving. As the few readers of this blog will know, I have been immersed in Hessler's writing over the last few months. Articulate, compassionate and witty, Hessler takes three "journeys" inside China, though strictly speaking, not all of them are on-the-road journeys.

After an extensive navigation of the most remote parts of the Great Walls, Hessler settles down in a small remote village, renting a humble cottage with a fellow journalist. The town is called Sancha and lies in the mountains to the north of Beijing. Fluent in Chinese, he is able to become a genuine part (to the extent that any foreigner can) of village life. Uniquely placed as both an observer and an actor, Hessler describes the effects of the 'new capitalism' on old rural life: the decline of population and amenity and the yearning for ways of cashing in on the new economy. It is a sympathetic portrait of a village that will likely survive, if for no other reason than its proximity to Beijing. Affluence creates roads and tourism; Sancha seems destined to get a small slice of the pie.

Hessler's last foray is to the coast in Zhejiang province. The once rural town of Lishui is about to be hit by the tsunmami of economic development. Mountains are raised to provide land for factories. The latter spring up like mushrooms after hot rain. Hessler follows the beginnings and growth of a brand new bra-clip manufacturer, a niche industry that the anxious owners hope will lead to riches. In tracking the fortunes of various factory employees, he is able to demonstrate the extraordinary adaptability of the (mainly) rural Chinese who flock to these shining edifices in search of new dreams.

This is such a great book. Well done Mr Hessler. More please!