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lmurray74's review against another edition
4.0
I found this of interest as it gave me insight into the life of people in San Francisco's Chinatown, not far from where I live. I used to be able to walk around there easily but now the hills have me beat, so it's kind of out of bounds. This is just one family's story so just a glimmer of life there, but I found it an enjoyable read. I liked how the story moved about in time, but at the end there was a lot left to say, and apart from Leon, the characters weren't as well developed as I would have liked. I would have liked to have known more about the siblings and Mah, and the narrator too.
erika_archie's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the description of grief and the effect is has on every relationship in a family.
eliza's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
dreesreads's review against another edition
4.0
This novel is narrated by Leila, the oldest of three sisters of Chinese immigrant parents (she is raised by her stepfather Leon, her sisters' father--her father, who convinced her mother to emigrate, now lives in Australia). Ona, the middle sister, jumped off a building a year earlier, and the family is preparing to recognize the one-year anniversary of her death.
Lei is still trying to understand why Ona felt the need to jump. And this book is her running over their childhood with Leon and Mah, he away for a month at a time on ships, she a seamstress. The failed businesses, schemes, and inventions of Leon. How like Leon Ona was in many ways. The girls' relationships with men, her own moving in with her boyfriend and youngest sister Nina's move to New York. The story moves from present to past to present, and I was a little confused in several sections and had to re-read to figure out when the chapters were. In the course of the book, Lei comes to understand why Ona was so despondent, and only wishes she would have spoken to her, or Nina, or Mah.
I enjoyed the peek at Chinatown San Francisco in the 1980s (that's a guess based on the cars, other details, and pub date of the book). The street names, the restaurants, the basements, the quick walk into North Beach for coffee, the bridges, the names and histories of other characters (Peruvian Chinese immigrants; and Principal Lagomarsino--a Val Fontanabuona name, and thus also a very North Beach name). I spent a fair amount of time in SF in the late 80s/early 90s, and it took me right back. Even the phone booth.
Lei is still trying to understand why Ona felt the need to jump. And this book is her running over their childhood with Leon and Mah, he away for a month at a time on ships, she a seamstress. The failed businesses, schemes, and inventions of Leon. How like Leon Ona was in many ways. The girls' relationships with men, her own moving in with her boyfriend and youngest sister Nina's move to New York. The story moves from present to past to present, and I was a little confused in several sections and had to re-read to figure out when the chapters were. In the course of the book, Lei comes to understand why Ona was so despondent, and only wishes she would have spoken to her, or Nina, or Mah.
I enjoyed the peek at Chinatown San Francisco in the 1980s (that's a guess based on the cars, other details, and pub date of the book). The street names, the restaurants, the basements, the quick walk into North Beach for coffee, the bridges, the names and histories of other characters (Peruvian Chinese immigrants; and Principal Lagomarsino--a Val Fontanabuona name, and thus also a very North Beach name). I spent a fair amount of time in SF in the late 80s/early 90s, and it took me right back. Even the phone booth.
meriwether's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
madde's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
bachtalking's review against another edition
2.0
Bone touches on the life of a first generation Chinese American woman who has a great many issues in her personal American life away from home and distinctly Chinese life around the family. It's not necessarily a bad read by any means, but not consistently engaging, and often distant. The main character is hardly relatable, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but makes for a difficult read to really grasp onto from beginning to end. The book picks up speed, however, when it branches momentarily to her father, who provides a welcome change of pace when he reflects on his relationship with an American woman when he first arrived to the United States.
osttank's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Absolutely beautiful! I loved this to no end. The depictions of grief and loss are exceptional. I love the stories that revolve around families going through grief, sorrow, and loss together. Fae Myenne Ng's prose was beautiful. It was easy to read. Character portrayal also was an 11/10.
HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend.
"Leon told me once that what we hold in our heart is what matters.
The heart never travels.
I believe in holding still. I believe that the secrets we hold in our hearts are our anchors, that even the unspoken between us is a measure of our every promise to the living and to the dead. And all our promises, like all our hopes, move us through life with the power of an ocean liner pushing through the sea."
HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend.
"Leon told me once that what we hold in our heart is what matters.
The heart never travels.
I believe in holding still. I believe that the secrets we hold in our hearts are our anchors, that even the unspoken between us is a measure of our every promise to the living and to the dead. And all our promises, like all our hopes, move us through life with the power of an ocean liner pushing through the sea."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
athenaria's review against another edition
1.0
I had to read this book for school, but I was not a fan.
mellasmusings's review against another edition
4.0
Bone is the story of Leila, the oldest of three daughters in an immigrant family, who struggles to unite her family as they grapple with the death of her middle sister and recurring money issues. Time moves arbitrarily, as Leila slips in and out of the past, connecting old moments to current ones. It can be somewhat confusing, but regardless, this book feels very real to me, as do the burdens that each of the three daughters take on in varying degrees to provide support and stability to their family.