You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
4.25/5
The beginning was a little slow for me, but once Meilin and Renshu break off on their own I got more invested and appreciation only kept growing with the plight they faced.
I cried defiantly a couple times.
Overall a great story and I love the perspective I gained from the reading.
The beginning was a little slow for me, but once Meilin and Renshu break off on their own I got more invested and appreciation only kept growing with the plight they faced.
I cried defiantly a couple times.
Overall a great story and I love the perspective I gained from the reading.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
This a very heavy book that will make you sad, angry, and annoyed. But also happy and relieved for the characters. It’s really slow paced as well as it moves from generations of the Dao family but the pace is perfect for the weight of the book.
On another note, is fictional memoir a genre? Can it be?The author in the acknowledgments says this is fiction but based in research and her own experiences much like Lily’s. It adds a lot to the book.
On another note, is fictional memoir a genre? Can it be?
Beautiful, haunting, enlightening.
The story dragged in some areas in the beginning and then felt a little rushed at the end but I still felt very connected with the characters and story by the end. They were so well developed, truly dimensional people!
The story dragged in some areas in the beginning and then felt a little rushed at the end but I still felt very connected with the characters and story by the end. They were so well developed, truly dimensional people!
DNF. I really really really wanted to love this book. But it dragged. The premise was so promising but I felt like it was the same repetitive scenario. War comes, they get in a boat, they get settled, then war comes, they get in a boat,they get settled. I was super invested in Meilin and Renshu especially when it came to their family relations but once they departed from her in laws, it went nowhere for me. I didn’t want to give up because I was so hoping for something magnificent to happen l, but I had to.
I was underwhelmed by this book. It was fine, it just wasn’t great. The middle section was the best part after a slow beginning and indifferent ending. I did learn some about the tumultuous 20th century in China but ultimately I felt like the main character could have opened up more than he did about his disjointed childhood spent in wartimes.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
This novel is about a place and time I have read so little about. It’s a guarded story of a boy and his mother escaping war and how this impacts his life and ultimately his child. I wanted to know the characters so much more but little was revealed to the reader.
In this historical fiction novel, the contemporary history of China is reflected in the story of Meilin and her son, Renshu. Starting with the Japanese invasion and bombing in 1938, Merlin is widowed and travels with her son, brother-in-law and his family to escape the violence. This trip begins a long journey for Meilin and Renshu as they are constantly seeking peace and shelter through the years of bitter political disputes, ending up in Taiwan. Renshu leaves for graduate school in America, starting his own family, but is unable to tell the story of his past with all the terrible losses and memories. A well written debut, this novel reiterates the horrors of war and the hope that exists for new generations. Recommended.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
challenging
emotional
sad
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