Note to Teachers
 
In this "equally beguiling sequel to his acclaimed memoir, Colors of the Mountain" (Kirkus Reviews),
teenager Da Chen takes his first train ride away from the farm he was raised on to his new university life in
Beijing. He soon faces a host of ghastly challenges, including poor living conditions, lack of food, and
suicidal roommates. Undaunted by these hurdles, and armed with a dogged determination to learn English
and "all things Western," he competes to win a chance to study in America --a chance that rests in the
shrewd and corrupt hands of the almighty professors.
Poetic, hilarious, and heartbreaking, Sounds of the River is a gloriously written coming-of-age saga that
chronicles a remarkable journey--a travelogue of the heart.
Sounds of the River has been chosen as a freshman class common book at Stony Brook University, North
Carolina State University, and Oklahoma City University. His appearances on campuses have garnered
much praise:
“A remarkable man with a remarkable story.”
—James M. Montoya, Vice President, College Board, about Da Chen as the 2009 six regional forums
keynote speaker
“Blew our minds away.”
—Angela Chou, VP of Public Relations, The College of New Jersey
“Extraordinarily popular with students.”
—Mary Benner, Director of Academic Affairs, Oklahoma City University
 Watch this video of Da Chen at North Carolina State University's 2008 Convocation--and see for yourself.
 
 
Questions for Class Discussion
 

1. Although Da Chen writes of his life in China, elements of the story he tells of leaving home and going
off to school are probably quite familiar to other people in other countries.  Can you relate to the fear
and excitement of the life-changing experience that Da Chen describes?  If so, what are the
implications of this cross-cultural sharing?
 
2. Throughout Sounds of the River, dreams and reality often overlap.  Examine some of these moments
and discuss what they add to the life story that Da Chen presents in his autobiography.
 
3. Clothing receives a great deal of attention.  How do clothes figure into the process of personal identity
formation that Da Chen details throughout his autobiography?  How do clothes also figure into national
and cultural identity formation as well?
 
4. Throughout his autobiography, Da Chen describes a tension between the traditional and the new, a
tension often figured forth as a struggle (or misunderstanding) between the country and the city
and/or between the Eastern and the Western.  Locate examples of this tension in the text and discuss
their implications for the book and for the world outside of it.
 
5. Discuss the way women are portrayed in Sounds of the River.  How much of the objectification of
women, especially younger women, can (or should) be dismissed as typical adolescent male
 posturing?
 
6. Da Chen writes lovingly of his family and of his deep connection to them.  How does his portrait of that
intense bonding compare to your own experience of family?  Is it possible to draw some conclusions
about the universal, cross-cultural humanity to be identified in the familial bond?
 
7. What does it mean to be a man, according to Da Chen?  What experiences do you think most shape
his understanding of adult masculinity in his culture?  In Western culture?
 
8. Describe the educational process Da Chen experiences at the Beijing Languages Institute.  What
seems familiar to you, and what seems foreign?  How and why?

 
 
 
Topics for Research and Writing Projects
 

1. As you read the book, note the various locations to which and through which Da Chen travels.  On a
map of China, trace the route of his journey.  What can you find online or through other library
research about each of these locations?  Does what you find agree with Da Chen’s descriptions of
those places?
 
2. Da Chen speaks frequently of the social, political, and personal effects of the Cultural Revolution and
of Chairman Mao Tze Tung (Mao Zedong).  Research the historical context of this communist
revolution in China and its leadership.  How does that additional information help you understand the
nature of Chinese society at the time about which Chen is writing? 
 
3. In 1982, Da Chen served as an interpreter and guide for NBA basketball players on tour in China. 
Recently, the Olympics were held in Beijing.  How do such sporting events function as moments of
political and social exchange, as well as moments of political and social tension?
 
4. Sounds of the River is the second memoir by Da Chen; his first memoir, Colors of the Mountain, tells
the story of his life prior to the events of Sounds of the River.  Read that earlier memoir.  How does that
additional knowledge of Da Chen’s life inform your understanding of who he is as a college student
and young adult?
 
5. Read Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography (or the autobiography of another person of your choice). 
Compare Da Chen’s autobiography to Franklin’s.  How do both men portray the value of education in
their lives?  How do they portray the role of family and of hard work in their lives as well?
 
6. Da Chen writes of his admiration of the works of Jack London, especially his novel Martin Eden.  Read
some of London’s short stories or one of his novels.  What do you think appeals to Da Chen in these
works?  Can you detect any influence they may have had on the way Da Chen has written Sounds of
the River?
 
 
 
 
Suggestions for Further Reading
 
Books by Da Chen
 
Memoir
Sounds of the River:  A Young Man’s University Days in Beijing
Colors of the Mountain
China’s Son:  Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution (an adaptation of Colors of the Mountain for young
adults)
 
Fiction
Brothers:  A Novel
 
Fiction for Young Adults
Forbidden Tales: Sword
Wandering Warrior
 
 
Additional Resource
 
Da Chen’s website