Lisa's review
The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
Lisa's review
rating:
recommended for: fans of historical fiction, mother-daughter relationships, chinese literature, etc
status: Read in October, 2007
rating:
recommended for: fans of historical fiction, mother-daughter relationships, chinese literature, etc
status: Read in October, 2007
Call it chick-lit if you will, but I like Amy Tan. The Hundred Secret Senses is one of my favorite books (I should read it again), and I picked up the Bonesetter's Daughter years ago and never got around to reading it until now.
This book centers largely around the relationship between Ruth Young and her elderly Chinese mother, LuLing. LuLing has been diagnosed with dementia, and while caring for her, Ruth happens across some pages written in Chinese in what she recognizes to be her mother's handwriting. Ruth has them translated and discovers that some things LuLing has been saying recently, which Ruth thought to be nonsensical product of the dementia (such as that her sister is not really her sister and that she is actually five years older than everyone thought), are actually true. Through the translation of her mother's story, Ruth discovers her mother's character, her origin and her own roots.
Tan's writing is emotionally effective. Like Ruth, as a reader you come to underst...more
This book centers largely around the relationship between Ruth Young and her elderly Chinese mother, LuLing. LuLing has been diagnosed with dementia, and while caring for her, Ruth happens across some pages written in Chinese in what she recognizes to be her mother's handwriting. Ruth has them translated and discovers that some things LuLing has been saying recently, which Ruth thought to be nonsensical product of the dementia (such as that her sister is not really her sister and that she is actually five years older than everyone thought), are actually true. Through the translation of her mother's story, Ruth discovers her mother's character, her origin and her own roots.
Tan's writing is emotionally effective. Like Ruth, as a reader you come to underst...more
