Reseña: Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan

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Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan 

by 

Hildi Kang

 200 pages

Published August 23rd 2011 by Tanglewood

ISBN: 1933718544 (ISBN13: 9781933718545)

Edition Language: English

Literary Awards:Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Children (2012)

 Chengli is an orphaned errand boy who lives in Chang’an China in 630 A.D. His mother has died from illness and his father is presumed dead after disappearing into the desert when Chengli was a baby.
Now thirteen, Chengli feels ready for independence. He is drawn to the desert, beckoned by the howling of strange winds and the hope of learning something about his father— who he was and how he died.
Chengli joins the caravan to travel down the merchant route known as the Silk Road, but it is a dangerous life, as his father knew. The desert is harsh, and there are many bandits, particularly drawn to Chengli's caravan because a princess, her servants, and royal guards are traveling with them.

My rating: 3.5 estrellas viajeras

Chengli es un niño huérfano de 13 años en la China de 630 dC, en la ciudad imperial de Chang’an, sirve como sirviente de un mercader de seda. Sus idas al mercado atraen sus ansias por viajar hacia el desierto, atraido por el llamado de los vientos, de modo que decide dejar todo lo que conoce en un intento por averiguar qué fue de su padre, quien segun le contaron fue un inspector imperial que murió a manos de bandidos cuando él todavia era un bebé quedando luego al cuidado de una vieja cocinera tras morir su madre.

Debe convencer al jefe de una caravana de camellos para que le deje acompañarlos laborando. A partir de allí se dearrolla un viaje que describe este viaje por la mítica ruta de la seda camino al oeste. Bandidos, tormentas de arena, el duro clima, meses de trabajo duro del amanecer al anochecer, y la sed son cosas diarias. 

 Además, narra las vivencias de este muchacho y como debe enfrentar conflictos morales, aprender acerca de las amistades, de como se hacen conocidos en el camino, gente que te da la mano sin pedir nada, asi como a quienes te traicionan. Y sobre aprender sobre sí mismo, a saber donde yacen tus fortalezas y tus debilidades.

Una debilidad del libro, es que empieza a arrastar un poco hacia la tercera parte, solamente salen nombres de lugares en el camino, y pensando que esto es para chicos creo que es aburrido.

Lo bueno para mi es que lo leí de un tirón, me entretuve googleando los sitios que aparecen, y la verdad es que siguen siendo asombrosos. Es fantástico que esos sitios todavia existan como el oasis, pero es una pena que evidente que es mucho menor a lo que era.

Me gustó sobre todo lo de los jinetes que me recuerdan a algunos peliculas que he visto. 

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Original review in english at Goodreads:

Chengli is an orphan living as servant of a silk merchant in the city of Chang’an, China, in 630 AC. The wind of the desert attracts him and he decides to leave this life behind to go in search of answers of the true destiny of his father, of whom they have told him was an inspector who died when he was an infant.

From there develops the story of a journey of a caravan of goods on the famous Silk Road to the west. Bandits, sandstorms, hard work, harsh weather and thirst are day to day problems. 

It also tells us how a child learn how to face various dilemmas, like what is true friendship, his own morals; and overall to know where his strengths and weaknesses lie.

The no-so-good: Towards the third part, the story drags a little, I think attempting to show the long long journey.

The goodness: It kept me entertained, however. I read it in one go, looking for the places mentioned in the story, amazed at the fact that some of those wonders still exist, although of course much less than they were. I really like the different cultures, and the horsemen remembers me a little bit of a famous film; incredible that they too still are there.

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