(Review) The Incarnations

FIRST of all, applause should be given to author Susan Barker who tells an interesting story that weaves through the past and present without leaving us confused.
Set in 2008, the story revolves around a Beijing taxi driver, Wang, who finds a mysterious letter in the sunshade of his cab.
The letter informs him that he and his family are being watched by someone who has shared past lives with him.
This person claims not only to be his soul-mate but is connected to him in various past lives.
An initially-worried Wang tries to get some help from the police but they dismiss it as a prank. He also does his own snooping around but others too dismiss it as a prank.
Wang finally believes that it’s a prank as well but the letters keep coming, each telling him of past-life encounters but without offering any clue as to the identity of the writer.
Things begin to unravel for Wang as problems with his dad, late mum, stepmother and then his wife start bubbling to the surface.

He must now also face his murky past in this life, to figure out who has been stalking him. This is the point when the story gets really interesting and dark.
The story is engaging and Barker’s tales about past lives which are set in various eras such as the Tang dynasty, the Mongol invasion, the Opium War and also the Red Revolution are all well written.
Wang’s journey is fascinating and the reader is left guessing about his mysterious soul-mate.