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21st out of 38 books
—
83 voters
The Language of Threads
Readers of Women of the Silk never forgot the moving, powerful story of Pei, brought to work in the silk house as a girl, grown into a quiet but determined young woman whose life is subject to cruel twists of fate, including the loss of her closest friend, Lin. Now we finally learn what happened to Pei, as she leaves the silk house for Hong Kong in the 1930s, arriving with...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
September 21st 2000
by St. Martin's Griffin
(first published January 1st 1999)
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Jan 17, 2009
Annie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
culture-race
I liked Women of the Silk much more than The Language of Threads . Maybe it was because I missed the primary relationship and the struggle against a clearly identified power to this book which was more about Pei's struggle to gain independence in a new place while simultaneously caring for an orphan and then survive the onset of war. I was left wanting more depth in how the characters thought about the impending and then current conflict with the Japanese invaders. There was the beginning of som...more
Our bookclub reads a wide variety of interesting books, some good, some not so good. The Language of Threads presented us with an opportunity to read about the experiences of both the Chinese and the British in Hong Kong in WW2, as well as to share a little with the select group of Sisters of the Silk.
How disappointed were we?
The Language of Threads reads like a hastily thrown together novel, and we found ourselves wondering if it were the poor sister to a richer "Women of Silk". The lead charac...more
How disappointed were we?
The Language of Threads reads like a hastily thrown together novel, and we found ourselves wondering if it were the poor sister to a richer "Women of Silk". The lead charac...more
I don't grant 5 stars very often. This book duo deserves it. The first book is "Women of the Silk" the second "The Language of Threads." As I first engaged in this adventure, I stepped off with trepidation. I wondered if it would be yet another story of the horrors of how the Chinese treat their women. Foot binding. Discarding female babies. Slave trade. Dog worth. Etc...I have read many of these stories in my day, and just wasn't sure my heart was in a place to endure more of that just now. And...more
This is a sequel to Women of the Silk, although you do not need to read Women of the Silk in order to understand The Language of Threads. Pei flees with Ji Shen, an orphan from the silk factory, to Hong Kong to run away from the Japanese. (They took over the small village in mainland China where Pei had worked for years in the silk factory. Hong Kong was safe for the time being). Pei finds work as "domestic" help in a rich home in Hong Kong and continues to support Ji Shen while Ji Shen goes to...more
If the first book I had picked up from Tsukiyama happened to be LoT or WotS, I probably wouldn't have returned to her writing. Not because it's bad (far from it), but it seemed like a second draft most of the time. Luckily, I read The Samurai's Garden and The Street of a Thousand Blossoms far beforehand, and I am her devout fan. To anyone who has not read Tsukiyama but plans to, don't be deterred by Language of Threads or by Women of the Silk; she is a fluid and dazzling writer.
This novel, as we...more
This novel, as we...more
This novel is a sequel to Women of the Silk, which I haven't read. It opens in the late 1930s, after Pei and Ji Shen have escaped their silk-working village in China and made their way to Hong Kong. The book is full of Pei's reminisces about her earlier life, so one gets a sense of the previous book, but I felt that there were too many instances that referred to Women of the Silk and made me feel like I should have read it first. I prefer a sequel that can stand more on its own. The book gives a...more
A marvelous conclusion to the story begun in 'Women of the Silk'. Pei and Ji Shen have made their way to Hong Kong and their life will not be easy. New country, new people, new ways of living...Pei and Ji Shen must each find a way to survive in Hong Kong...when Japan is on the brink of invading. Some wonderful new characters in this book....Quan, Song Lee, and Mrs.Finch. Each new character helps Pei and Ji Shen learn a little bit more about themselves, their relationship with others, and their p...more
The Language of Threads is the sequel to Women of the Silk, which should be read first. The story refers to events that happened in the first book, so I plan to go back and read it. Gail Tsukiyama writes well, providing insight into the customs in China and the lives of Chinese women.
This is the story of a young Chinese girl, Pei, who leaves China and flees to Hong Kong after the invasion of Japan during the Second World War. She worked in a silk factory in a small Chinese town (the first story)...more
This is the story of a young Chinese girl, Pei, who leaves China and flees to Hong Kong after the invasion of Japan during the Second World War. She worked in a silk factory in a small Chinese town (the first story)...more
My only complaint is that this book wasn't published in one volume with 'Women of the Silk', because both books didn't really feel like separate tales. Rather, they felt more like two halves of one tale, especially because of the way 'Women of the Silk' ended and this one begun. Still, it was a lovely and poignant tale as Pei has to deal with the tumult of the Japanese invading China (this book starts in the late 1930's) and shows that even no matter how tenacious and determined some people are...more
I read Women of the Silk this past summer and really liked the book. This time, however, this sequal felt much like a hollywood movie sequel. It was all fluff and very little substance. The plot was thin and didn't include many of the details I would expect from 1940 Hong Kong. Having just finished Unbroken this account of WWII Hong Kong was not impressive. The characters were a continuation of the Women of the Silk so there was not a much time spent on character development. If you haven't read...more
The Language of Threads – Tsukiyama
4 stars
This sequel to Women of the Silk continues the story of Pei and the orphaned Ji Shen as they flee to Hong Kong in the wake of the Japanese invasion. The story progresses through the Japanese occupation, the Communist take-over and the post war recovery of Hong Kong. As the central character, Pei struggles to support herself and Ji Shen while continuing to grieve for her partner, Lin. One or two other characters from the first story continue in this one....more
I enjoyed the sequel to Women Of The Silk. I wanted to find out what happened so some of the original characters. In some ways, I enjoyed the first book most because it took the reader through what happened to a young girl until she grew up. It began in 1919 and ended in 1938. In this book, the sequel, the reader follows the main character, Pei, through to 1973. It was a quickly moving story. It was interesting, informative, happy and sad. I found myself in Pei's life, wondering what choices I w...more
Gail Tsukiyama’s books remind me of silk paintings with their subtlety and depth of hue. The theme of this book is one often found in the Chinese classics – the importance of family. Pei lost one family when she was sold into the silk industry. There, she is adopted into a new family, the sisterhood of the silk workers. When she is forced to flee Canton because of the Japanese invasion, she takes with her Ji Shen, an adolescent orphan. In Hong King, with the help of the sisterhood, she is able t...more
This is a sequel to the book called Women of the Silk in which Pei, the young Chinese woman given to silk work by her poor family, is the main character. The story is interesting--exciting even--as Pei relocates to Hong Kong, endures the onslaught of the Japanese, begins a small business and is re-united with Li, her older sister. But the writing in much of the book is not of the caliber of Women of the Silk. Sentences are very simply constructed, and there are no lyrical descriptive passages--i...more
In this sequel to Women of the Silk, Gail Tsukiyama continues to work her word magic in telling the story of Pei who, along with her friends at the silk factory, is uprooted by the invading Imperial Japanese Army. Desperate for work she takes a position as a domestic in a not-so-nice situation where the pecking order among the household staff is stifling. Fortunately for Pei, she finds another position in the household of an Englishwoman where she is treated with kindness and respect. Unfortunat...more
This is a sequel to Women of the Silk, which I haven't read. However, there is plenty of reminiscence of the past to have a good idea of the previous book. It takes place in China and Hong in the 1930s and 1940s, during the Japanese invasion/occupation. So, life is extremely difficult. What makes it liveable is the women's commitment to and caring for each other: Women who, as children were made leave their families to work in the silk factories, who have known hard work and deprivation and have...more
This book is a continuation of the book, Women of Silk. That book was the first fiction book in a while where I didn't want it to end. I wanted to find out what would happen. In that sense, this book was extremely satisfying.
The novel spans the period right before through right after WWII. Many early memories I have of my family history overlaps this period. Relatives killed from the Japanese bombing, people fleeing before the Communist takeover (or not being able to go back).
I'd highly recomm...more
The novel spans the period right before through right after WWII. Many early memories I have of my family history overlaps this period. Relatives killed from the Japanese bombing, people fleeing before the Communist takeover (or not being able to go back).
I'd highly recomm...more
This book puts closure on the first book "Women of the Silk." After finishing the first book I felt a bit let down about how it had ended. But the second book put everything into place with a nice, graceful finish. As with all of Gail Tsukiyama's books that I have read, this one also flows with a gentleness in her way of writing. It is a very easy read, one which I couldn't put down. I love the character "Pei" and her strength as she goes through Japanese occupation in Hong Kong during WWII. I e...more
This is a sequel to Women of the Silk, and is consistent in writing style and interest. In this novel, Pei flees to Hong Kong ahead of the Japanese, and with the support of her sisterhood of ex silk workers establishes herself. Tsukiyama has a modest style, with simple prose, and clear cut characters. She plots well, and affirms such virtues as loyalty and kindness and strength of character without being cloying. Thus, she is able to expose the reader to terrible historical times, yet leave the...more
The enduring strength of family ties, the deep bonds of sisterhood, the power of women to survive in a harsh world and grief over the loss of love that abides til death, are all themes woven into the continuing tale of Pei, a Chinese girl from a poor family. The first part of her story is told in "Women of the Silk" and this book picks up there and follows her through WWII in Hong Kong and up through 1973 when she seems to be in her 60's. It could be a stand alone book however. Though the girls...more
Absolutely loved it. It's a sequel to [The Women of Silk]. The story continues with Pei and Ji Shen fleeing China to Hong Kong because of the Japanese occupation. There they start to build a new life for themselves. Pei's strength and resilience is put to the test many times over as she learns how to fend for herself and then look after Ji Shen in this new world, taking on new work as a laundress, a domestic helper and later on a seamstress. As the Japanese bomb Hong Kong, round up the British i...more
Read in Germany, July 2009.
Comments:
* enjoyed a lot more than the prequel - the plot was more fluid, the characters (especially Pei) were more realistic and better developed, and the writing was also better (although there was a typo on the back cover!). All signs that Tsukiyama's writing had improved immensley.
* I liked the ending of this book more - it seemed to be rounded up better than in the first book.
* still a lot of sadness - Mrs F. and the orphan girl. I understood that it was realistic...more
Comments:
* enjoyed a lot more than the prequel - the plot was more fluid, the characters (especially Pei) were more realistic and better developed, and the writing was also better (although there was a typo on the back cover!). All signs that Tsukiyama's writing had improved immensley.
* I liked the ending of this book more - it seemed to be rounded up better than in the first book.
* still a lot of sadness - Mrs F. and the orphan girl. I understood that it was realistic...more
Jun 08, 2008
Marie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in women's friendships, or Asian cultures
Last year I got the opportunity to hear Tsukiyama speak at a banquet for the Willamette Writers in Portland. She is half Japanese-American and half Chinese-American, and most of her books center around Japan or China. After hearing her speak, I read her first novel, "Women of the Silk" (about women who worked in the silk factories in China) and loved it. "The Language of Threads" picks up where "Women of the Silk" left off.
I can see that Tsukiyama's writing has only improved in the interval betw...more
I can see that Tsukiyama's writing has only improved in the interval betw...more
while i didn't enjoy this as much as 'women of the silk', i did get a lot out of it as a novel of historical fiction. it gives a quick (albeit perhaps simplistic) look at hong kong and china during and following world war ii, and i feel like i learned a fair amount.
after reading both of these books, i'm left wondering about how realistic the heroine's character is. this is the first book i've read that has a plucky, strong-by-western-standards chinese heroine. at several points during the books...more
after reading both of these books, i'm left wondering about how realistic the heroine's character is. this is the first book i've read that has a plucky, strong-by-western-standards chinese heroine. at several points during the books...more
Sequel to "Women of the Silk"!
Readers of 'Women of the Silk' never forgot the moving story of Pei, brought to work in the silk house as a young girl. Now we learn what happened to Pei as she arrives in 1930's Hong Kong with a young orphan, Ji Shen, in her care. Soon Pei and Ji Shen find a new life in the home of Mrs. Finch, a British expatriate. But war, and the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, tear everything apart, and Pei is once again forced to make her own way, struggling to survive and t...more
Readers of 'Women of the Silk' never forgot the moving story of Pei, brought to work in the silk house as a young girl. Now we learn what happened to Pei as she arrives in 1930's Hong Kong with a young orphan, Ji Shen, in her care. Soon Pei and Ji Shen find a new life in the home of Mrs. Finch, a British expatriate. But war, and the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, tear everything apart, and Pei is once again forced to make her own way, struggling to survive and t...more
This was a great sequal to Women of the Silk. I enjoyed continuing the story and finding out what happens to the characters I had become so invested in. Both stories highlight the strength of the human spirit to survive and endure. Part of that will to continue is so closely related to the relationships in our life. It's not just blood relatives that comprise family. This was another wonderful book by Gail Tsukiyama.
What a wonderful storyteller!! I just love Tsukiyama. I'll read anything she writes. Her books aren't as thought provoking as they are just lovely. I could imagine someone reading these to me as I sit and gaze at the world outside my window. They are quiet and soft and lovely within a setting that is often cold and harsh. Anyway, I am off to find my next book by her. This gets an 8.0 on my 10 scale.
Any book that lets me escape back to Asia for a moment is high on my list. This one took me back to Hong Kong during an era I vaguely remember a lecture on while we were studying there -- early 40's just before the Japanese invasion and occupation. The place we knew best as a shopping destination was the site of a camp for British citizens during the occupation. Delightfully told -- now I will read the first one!
This is a continuation of Women of the Silk. It definitely ended more positively. Looking at the books together really gives me a sense of the characters, their history. The characters seem real! I love when books can draw vivid pictures of other places and times, and allow me to see them through the eyes of well-developed characters. The author does a beautiful job of tying all the loose ends and bringing everything together at the end.
I read Tsukiyama's first book, Women of the Silk over ten years ago and remember enjoying the book and thought it would be fun to read the second book. I was a little worried that I wouldn't remember the characters or story and would need to reread the first book but everything came back.
I'm glad that all of the questions left dangling at the end of the first book are tied together. Both books served their purpose. They were entertaining and provided an interesting insight to life in China duri...more
I'm glad that all of the questions left dangling at the end of the first book are tied together. Both books served their purpose. They were entertaining and provided an interesting insight to life in China duri...more
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Born to a Chinese mother and a Japanese father in San Francisco, Gail Tsukiyama now lives in El Cerrito, California. Her novels include Women of the Silk (1991), The Samurai's Garden (1995), Night of Many Dreams (1998), The Language of Threads (1999), Dreaming Water (2002), and The Street of a Thousand Blossoms (2007).
More about Gail Tsukiyama...
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