Ocean of Words by Ha Jin

The place is the border between Russia and China. The time is the early 1970s, when the two giant powers were posed on the brink of war. In this award-winning collection of stories, Chinese writer Ha Jin brilliantly explores the humanity of the barely literate Chinese soldiers who must constantly scrutinize the enemy even as they themselves are watched. - SBCL

This collection of stories explores the tension between two major world powers, China and Russia. Soldiers facing the possibility of war at a moment's notice describe the events. - CDE