The New York Times called my first novel a “love story set against the events of the last half-century in China, it’s a tale of terrible suffering that also manages to be a poetic evocation of the country and its people…His exuberance and verve win out. He imbues Under Fishbone Clouds with a magical atmosphere.”
Reviews from the Stacks noted that The Afterlives of Doctor Gachet “does not work like any other I have read; it is on a level all its own, and truly a masterpiece of our day. The story is engaging and interesting, the history is detailed and fleshed out, and it takes a strong, analytical look at sadness both in one man’s life and in humanity as a whole. War, interpersonal relationships, mental health, and social issues are looked at….It is deep, occasionally funny, engaging, historically interesting, and beautifully written.”
The Independent calls Under Fishbone Clouds “Lavishly imagined and skilfully narrated, this family saga of life in China between 1946 and the millennium moves, informs and satisfies. … a story of quiet faith that still burns with the fires of change.”
The Scottish Review of Books noted that “The Book of Crows is a profound novel, and Meekings demonstrates a greater degree of ambition than some of his contemporaries.”
The Reading Bud says that “The Afterlives Of Doctor Gachet by Sam Meekings is a very delightful and a pretty compelling historical read with a powerful, well-written and brilliantly executed storyline.”
Publishers Weekly calls Under Fishbone Clouds “a beautifully told love story as well as an absorbing study in Chinese folklore and history.”
The Scotsman called my poetry collections “nuanced, alert and intelligent.”
Women of China notes that “Despite a hefty dose of political strife, interwoven with traditional Chinese myth and folklore, Under Fishbone Clouds is a story about love and the transformations it must endure to survive.”
To see even more reviews, check here.