A review by lyndsayreads
Ghost Music by An Yu

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

4.0

Song Yan is struggling with her identity. She gave up ambitions of becoming a concert pianist and instead settled into a life as a wife and piano teacher. She's desperate to have children but any time she broaches the subject with her husband, she is rebuffed. When her mother-in-law comes to stay with them for a while, she starts to learn that she may not actually know her husband at all. And she certainly doesn't know who she is outside of being his wife. This book is a journey of identity, reflection, and grief.

The prose in this book is beautiful. An Yu paints a very vivid picture of everything in this story. The descriptions of both food and music were wonderful to read and made me hungry at times. The characterization was excellent, especially of Song Yan. It's her story and her struggles and concerns are expressed well. There's a magical realism aspect to the story that I liked but didn't always necessarily understand. My only complaint is that I wish the book was longer.

I've never read from An Yu before but after reading this, I definitely want to. I know there are many mixed feelings about her first book, Braised Pork, but after reading and enjoying this, I think I might give it a go. I'd definitely recommend this if you're looking for something a little different, but beautifully written. And I would highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job.
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