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A review by killerpancake
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’m a sucker for an intergenerational family epic and this one delivers even without a massive page count. I also realized while reading this that I love getting a ghost or spirit pov which this does REALLY well in my opinion.
The story follows three women, a grandmother, mother, and daughter, and the story starts just as the grandmother passes. Each woman gets equal time to tell her story and the themes are secrets, motherhood, and relationship drama. This could almost be short stories of each woman but they are woven together with excellent but not overly flowery prose. Thai really nails a balance between beautiful passages that don't get lost in navel gazing. So people who are worried about it being character driven might want to give it a try because there's a lot of interesting plot there as well. Learning about each woman's background, what they are keeping from each other, and what happens to the men they love, was really engaging.
This is a book I will recommend to friends who love stories with complex family dynamics but don't want a super bummer story. Don't get me wrong, there are dark elements to this book but the overall tone is one of hope and survival. I was rooting for each of these women, flaws and all.
The story follows three women, a grandmother, mother, and daughter, and the story starts just as the grandmother passes. Each woman gets equal time to tell her story and the themes are secrets, motherhood, and relationship drama. This could almost be short stories of each woman but they are woven together with excellent but not overly flowery prose. Thai really nails a balance between beautiful passages that don't get lost in navel gazing. So people who are worried about it being character driven might want to give it a try because there's a lot of interesting plot there as well. Learning about each woman's background, what they are keeping from each other, and what happens to the men they love, was really engaging.
This is a book I will recommend to friends who love stories with complex family dynamics but don't want a super bummer story. Don't get me wrong, there are dark elements to this book but the overall tone is one of hope and survival. I was rooting for each of these women, flaws and all.