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kaelynbyers's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“That's the point, isn't it? To keep learning. To grow. To do more good than harm. To create compassion. To understand that every person you encounter is not there by coincidence. All of us play a role in another person's life. What goes around comes around.”
This is a beautiful story following the lives of 7 Chinese women throughout history.
It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.
Both angering and calming.
Both painful and healing.
It is a story about both grieving and joy.
About loneliness and community.
About weakness and strength.
I have never come across that is so many different things at the same time.
This is a beautifully complex story that walks through the sufferings of women in one family line while highlighting all the ways their trauma and joys are shared across generations. The struggles that make them feel the most isolated and alone are the very things that tie them together.
This book is beautiful, but it does have some difficult topics that could be triggers for readers. This book talks in great detail about depression, suicide, physical abuse, racism, SA, and loss of friends and family.
Please consider the topics covered before reading this book.
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Slavery, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Rape, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Classism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Mental illness
laguerrelewis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic, Vomit, Child death, Grief, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Racism, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Self harm, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, War, Bullying, Classism, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
mls8583's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
kimisjustokay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Xenophobia, War, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Medical content, Rape, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Animal death, Classism, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
infairveronaa's review
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting
apworden's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, War, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Deportation, Pregnancy, Grief, Body horror, Blood, Death, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Colonisation
kimveach's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Blood, Sexual content, Slavery, Abandonment, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, War, Bullying, Child death, Dementia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Racism
harvey7leah's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Racism, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Violence
chelle_benedetti's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Rape, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Self harm
chrisljm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Also, just in case there is anyone else out there who will have a similar experience to me, THEY ARE NOT SPEAKING CANTONESE IN THIS BOOK, IT’S TOISANESE 😭 I was losing my mind because I know Cantonese but was unfamiliar with Toisanese, but I’ve since learned it’s because they’re used interchangeably and prior to the 1960s Toisanese was the dominant language spoken in Chinatowns.
Another thing, this part of the blurb was the reason why I decided to read this book, “A stranger is searching for her in each time period. A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories,” but it was so misleading.
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Sexism, Slavery, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Medical content
Moderate: Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Grief, Forced institutionalization, War, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Abandonment, Murder, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, Vomit, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Racial slurs, Self harm, and Colonisation