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davidup_15's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book is a little slow, but very, very rewarding if you engage deeply with it - I would call it even better than its predecessor Shanghai Girls. Pearl and Joy are vivid and inspiring characters - Pearl is a gorgeously, evocatively written woman who reveals to readers what it is to be a mother and a woman in a wonderful way, and Joy's idealism is simultaneously endearing and haunting. Lisa See writes about possibly the worst famine in world history in a profoundly human way, showing her distinctive ability to merge the personal with the political. The ending is also one of the most beautiful and fulfilling things I have ever read - I was so, so happy in the final few pages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Body horror, Child death, Genocide, and Misogyny
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