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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
LOVED this book. But definitely would not recommend reading it without reading Shanghai Girls first.
Love anything by Lisa See! Need to read the first two, before this, in order for it to make sense!
Interesting - and scary - look at life in China in the late '50s. Made me want to go read more about Chinese history from that period. The plot is rather contrived, which doesn't go well with the historical background. Still, I particularly liked the mother (Pearl)and found most of the characters intersting, if not appealing. I'd give it 3.5 stars if that was an option.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
I liked this book as much as [b:Shanghai Girls|5960325|Shanghai Girls|Lisa See|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255570412s/5960325.jpg|5991850], but for different reasons. In this book, the plot just isn't as believable. And by plot, I am referring to the actions and interactions of the characters.
Still, I have decided that after reading outside of my "safety genres" of science fiction and fantasy that I really like historical fiction. I enjoy reading about things that actually happened in the past through the eyes of someone there, fictionally. I don't know enough about China and it's history, but it seemed sound enough in this book. After finishing, I gobbled up a ton of history about China in the 20th century, and to me, that means a book was meaningful and deserving of 4 stars. I see a lot of criticism about Lisa See's writing style, and much of it I can agree with. It's unrefined, it's too choppy, and the plot is, well, ho-hum. But oh, the inspiration that I was filled with after reading it just trumps her critiques.
Spoiler
I found it difficult to believe that Joy found her father so quickly. I found the relatively happy ending to be a stretch as well. I truly wanted Pearl and Dun to be reunited, but I just didn't think it could be possible. And how on Earth did Joy's husband turn out to be such an ass? She really had no idea what he was like? I guess maybe that can happen, just seems unlikely.Still, I have decided that after reading outside of my "safety genres" of science fiction and fantasy that I really like historical fiction. I enjoy reading about things that actually happened in the past through the eyes of someone there, fictionally. I don't know enough about China and it's history, but it seemed sound enough in this book. After finishing, I gobbled up a ton of history about China in the 20th century, and to me, that means a book was meaningful and deserving of 4 stars. I see a lot of criticism about Lisa See's writing style, and much of it I can agree with. It's unrefined, it's too choppy, and the plot is, well, ho-hum. But oh, the inspiration that I was filled with after reading it just trumps her critiques.
Such a satisfying read! I love that it took me two ebook renewals to finish it. It wasn't hard to read, but just so rich with new information for my brain to devour that I couldn't blaze through it. Love the mother daughter theme. I can't really relate to the sister theme, but I enjoyed that too.
I've loved all of Lisa See's books (with the possibl exception of Peony in Love). This was a great continuation of Pearl and May's story from Shanghai Girls. And it highlighted something that few Westerners are aware of - the devastation caused by Mao's programs. During the 4 year of the Great Leap Forward (1958-62), an estimated 45 _million_ people starved to death or died from disease caused by extreme poverty and deprivation. How is it that this isn't taught along with the Holocaust and Rwanda?
It took me a bit to get into the story and then I couldn't put it down. Tragic and uplifting. Haunting yet inspiring with a sense of deep familial love.