A review by laequeens
Chu Ju's House by Gloria Whelan

5.0

Short but fulfilling story. This is a story of a girl's selfless love for her family and others as well as a story of luck. Chu Ju, although was seen as " worthless " in the eyes of her grandmother and China's view of women before, was full of luck, love and knowledge. The world is a vast place and surely the river will take her to where she belongs and that is exactly what happens in the story. I felt very optimistic reading the entire thing and although some parts of it were sad, like the part where a woman believes her son would never be free no matter how much they pay ever since he was sent to a reeducation center for speaking the " truth ", the story still gives out hope. Mostly, it shows the beauty of agriculture and caring for one's own land rather than the materialistic beauty of the city. All in all, such a good read. I hoped it was longer but the way it ended was perfect as well.