Reviews

The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan

thenymphsvoice's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Such a heart wrenching story. Beautifully told

chyna's review against another edition

4.0

I give this book 4.5 stars. Personally, it was hard to read on some parts but the story in of itself is a treat and the way I was taken in by the story just amazes me. By the end of the book, I understood Helen and Winnie's bantering and found it endearing and Winnie is just a strong person that has all my love and respect.

nikitaaci93's review against another edition

dark hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

zeev's review against another edition

4.0

if i ever cry bc of a book …. it’ll be an amy tan book

mswan's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Really liked the story, how it happens over many years/coming of age

middleburybooks's review against another edition

4.0

This is a touching story beautifully told. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent.
Although there were a few deeply disturbing moments that made me want to stop, the promise of things getting better for Winnie kept me going. The ending was worth the journey.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sad stories with moments of hope sprinkled in.

cfnnm's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

meganaj's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

nthingrid's review

adventurous hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.5

khornstein1's review against another edition

4.0

I liked this book much better than I thought I would. It started out kind of like chick-lit, with a contemporary story of a mother-daughter relationship...and then it took off, the mother became a storyteller and opened up to her daughter about the entirely different world she had lived in, in China, and the heartbreak she had experienced.

I liked Winnie's voice and the story was fascinating. I read this book because I was reviewing some lists of best-sellers I'd never read because I was busy...I dunno, working, being in grad school, having kids and I thought, "I really should read Amy Tan and find out why she's so popular when I get a chance!"

My only criticism is that if you're looking for something really different, original, groundbreaking, this is not your book: go read Ulysses. If you're looking for an absorbing and touching story and are interested in pre-Communist China,this is a great book.