Below is an excerpt from a strange and beautiful novel, The Stolen Bicycle by Wu Ming-Yi. The book tells the story of a man searching for his missing father’s stolen bicycle. The search involves him with soldiers who fought in the jungles of South-East Asia during WWII, with antique bicycle fanatics of Taiwan, with butterfly handicraft makers, and with the oldest elephant who ever lived. Themes include family, memory, destiny, beauty, time, craft, love, loss, place, and home. Excerpted are pp 156-162, which contain the fourth of seven “Bike Notes” sections interspersed throughout the narrative; we hope you like it and will consider putting the book on your reading list.
