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A Thread of Sky: A Novel
"This is one of those rare novels that delivers on the promise of its opening pages... No smart woman should leave on vacation without it." -ChicagoTribune.com
When her husband of thirty years is killed, Irene Shen and her three daughters are set adrift. In a desperate attempt to heal her fractured family, Irene plans a tour of mainland China, reuniting three generations of women-her fiercely independent daughters, her distant poet sister, and her formidable eighty-year-old mother. But each woman bears secrets big and small, and just as they begin to reconnect, the most carefully guarded secret of all threatens to tear them apart forever. Depicting a China at once timeless and ever changing, A Thread of Sky is a beautifully written story of love and sacrifice, history and memory, sisterhood and motherhood, and the connections that endure.
When her husband of thirty years is killed, Irene Shen and her three daughters are set adrift. In a desperate attempt to heal her fractured family, Irene plans a tour of mainland China, reuniting three generations of women-her fiercely independent daughters, her distant poet sister, and her formidable eighty-year-old mother. But each woman bears secrets big and small, and just as they begin to reconnect, the most carefully guarded secret of all threatens to tear them apart forever. Depicting a China at once timeless and ever changing, A Thread of Sky is a beautifully written story of love and sacrifice, history and memory, sisterhood and motherhood, and the connections that endure.
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2010
18 people are currently reading
917 people want to read
About the author
Deanna Fei
4 books49 followersDeanna Fei is the author of the new memoir GIRL IN GLASS (Bloomsbury), hailed as “extraordinarily beautiful” by NPR and “an impassioned, important book” by the Washington Post. GIRL IN GLASS was recently featured on PBS NewsHour, Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC, and NPR’s All Things Considered, among other outlets.
In 2014, Fei's essay, “My Baby and AOL’s Bottom Line,” went viral worldwide and sparked national conversations about medical privacy, corporate accounting, employer-sponsored health care, and what a human life is worth. She appeared on NBC’s the Today show, the CBS Evening News, CNN’s Erin Burnett Show, MSNBC’s News Nation, and NPR’s Here and Now to discuss her decision to speak about her “distressed baby.”
Fei currently works with March of Dimes to help raise awareness of the true tolls of prematurity and Graham’s Foundation to help advocate for parents of premature babies. She recently founded OurDistressedBabies.org, a forum where people can share their own stories to raise awareness of the need for more compassion and justice in our healthcare system.
Fei is also the author of the award-winning novel A Thread of Sky (Penguin, 2010). She was born in Flushing, New York, and graduated from Amherst College and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She has received a Fulbright Grant and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, TIME, Fortune, Slate, The Millions, and the Huffington Post, among other publications.
Fei has taught and counseled at-risk youth through the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, CASES, and New York City public schools. She regularly gives talks at forums such as the Museum of Chinese in America, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference, the Chicago Tribune Printers Row Lit Fest, and schools and universities nationwide. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
In 2014, Fei's essay, “My Baby and AOL’s Bottom Line,” went viral worldwide and sparked national conversations about medical privacy, corporate accounting, employer-sponsored health care, and what a human life is worth. She appeared on NBC’s the Today show, the CBS Evening News, CNN’s Erin Burnett Show, MSNBC’s News Nation, and NPR’s Here and Now to discuss her decision to speak about her “distressed baby.”
Fei currently works with March of Dimes to help raise awareness of the true tolls of prematurity and Graham’s Foundation to help advocate for parents of premature babies. She recently founded OurDistressedBabies.org, a forum where people can share their own stories to raise awareness of the need for more compassion and justice in our healthcare system.
Fei is also the author of the award-winning novel A Thread of Sky (Penguin, 2010). She was born in Flushing, New York, and graduated from Amherst College and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She has received a Fulbright Grant and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, TIME, Fortune, Slate, The Millions, and the Huffington Post, among other publications.
Fei has taught and counseled at-risk youth through the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, CASES, and New York City public schools. She regularly gives talks at forums such as the Museum of Chinese in America, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference, the Chicago Tribune Printers Row Lit Fest, and schools and universities nationwide. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
April 23, 2010
I love books about China, particularly about how Chinese culture impacts women. In this tale, three Chinese-American sisters, their mother, aunt, and grandmother travel to China for one last chance to bond the way a family should but they never have. Each chapter is told through the point of view of a different woman, all in third person, which at times was hard to follow, but for the most part I liked getting the different perspectives and what they thought of each other.
Strangely enough, I didn't care for one of these cold women, in fact I disliked most of them who had no reason to be unhappy and somehow managed to push anything good away and force themselves to be unhappy. But I cared so much for their journey that they somehow did not bother me and still interested me until I grew to understand them and how decisions and personalities affected them for generations.
Here's my take on the characters:
Lin, the grandmother, was a revolutionary in China, but left her husband after the government fell to the Communist party and came to American. She's closed, bitter, and lashes out at her children and grandchildren when they choose family over career. She is so blinded by her cause, that she can't bare to see how it could have failed her because if she does, she is nothing.
Irene, the mother, is a nagging wife and mother who lost her husband the night he left her, and although annoying is inherantantly good hearted if she can just find the will to accept her choices and her difference from her mother.
Susan, the aunt, is the only weak character in the bunch (that annoyingly dependent weak) who in her selfishness sees none of her faults as her problem, or even faults, and has trouble committing herself to anything for fear of failure. She's the only character that I felt didn't grow through this process and didn't think she deserved a kind, pampering husband when she cares so little for people herself.
Nora, the oldest daughter, works on Wall Street and refuses to accept her boyfriend's proposal in fear that he will someday disappoint her, so instead she is cruel to him and pushes him away. It is her own high standards that set her up to fail, if she can only learn to live for what she wants instead of what she thinks people expect of her.
Kay, the middle daughter, is an indignant student in China out to save its women from sexual exploitation. She won't let anyone close to her, including the guys she fools around with and then shoves away when they ask anything too personal. Fei uses her as platform, more than once, to rant about the discrimination of Chinese-Americans, but that platform is important to show her own insecurities and her need to embrace her Chinese culture and decide where she belongs in the world.
Sophie, the youngest daughter, is self-conscious of her weight and sick of being the baby. She was the least fleshed out character. I felt like I was told about her more than shown much. She's just graduating from high school so her course in life is yet to be set, but will have to work through the same traits of indecision and trust.
The setting in China falls secondary to this character-driven story, but it still holds an important key to their growth, and Fei manages to throw in some Chinese history through Lin's and Kay's stories. The plot is sometimes repetitive and wandering, but Fei had beautiful moments with her writing, moments like "infected her with a languor" or "the tidal waves of migrant workers." I'm impressed that this was a first novel.
Strangely enough, I didn't care for one of these cold women, in fact I disliked most of them who had no reason to be unhappy and somehow managed to push anything good away and force themselves to be unhappy. But I cared so much for their journey that they somehow did not bother me and still interested me until I grew to understand them and how decisions and personalities affected them for generations.
Here's my take on the characters:
Lin, the grandmother, was a revolutionary in China, but left her husband after the government fell to the Communist party and came to American. She's closed, bitter, and lashes out at her children and grandchildren when they choose family over career. She is so blinded by her cause, that she can't bare to see how it could have failed her because if she does, she is nothing.
Irene, the mother, is a nagging wife and mother who lost her husband the night he left her, and although annoying is inherantantly good hearted if she can just find the will to accept her choices and her difference from her mother.
Susan, the aunt, is the only weak character in the bunch (that annoyingly dependent weak) who in her selfishness sees none of her faults as her problem, or even faults, and has trouble committing herself to anything for fear of failure. She's the only character that I felt didn't grow through this process and didn't think she deserved a kind, pampering husband when she cares so little for people herself.
Nora, the oldest daughter, works on Wall Street and refuses to accept her boyfriend's proposal in fear that he will someday disappoint her, so instead she is cruel to him and pushes him away. It is her own high standards that set her up to fail, if she can only learn to live for what she wants instead of what she thinks people expect of her.
Kay, the middle daughter, is an indignant student in China out to save its women from sexual exploitation. She won't let anyone close to her, including the guys she fools around with and then shoves away when they ask anything too personal. Fei uses her as platform, more than once, to rant about the discrimination of Chinese-Americans, but that platform is important to show her own insecurities and her need to embrace her Chinese culture and decide where she belongs in the world.
Sophie, the youngest daughter, is self-conscious of her weight and sick of being the baby. She was the least fleshed out character. I felt like I was told about her more than shown much. She's just graduating from high school so her course in life is yet to be set, but will have to work through the same traits of indecision and trust.
The setting in China falls secondary to this character-driven story, but it still holds an important key to their growth, and Fei manages to throw in some Chinese history through Lin's and Kay's stories. The plot is sometimes repetitive and wandering, but Fei had beautiful moments with her writing, moments like "infected her with a languor" or "the tidal waves of migrant workers." I'm impressed that this was a first novel.
January 31, 2023
I have looked forward to this book for a long time but I struggled to get through it. One reason was that my edition had tiny print and my eyesight is. Also, I felt that when the author switched time and place, I need more transition. Also, I was hoping for more character development. I did really like the character Sophie, the granddaughter who was struggling with bulima. Not fitting the stereotype of a thin, petite Chinese-American woman, she did not feel comfortable with her curves.
This book is focused on three generations, a grandmother, two daughters and one of their three granddaughters. The men in the book had marginal importance. All of the women had secrets that they did not reveal to any of their family. They take a tour of China together for two weeks in China. They really did not want to go, except for one the daughters, Nora. Nora wanted the trip bind their family together. Eventually, that goal did more forward in understanding but the secrets stood as barriers, it was extremely difficult to disclose them. The biggest secret of all was revealed not by the person who had it but by her husband.
I think the book could have been improved with editing and more deepth in the characters.
I hope that author does not get discouraged and continues to write further. The book is very ambitious but I hope that the auther takes one simpler themes.
This book is focused on three generations, a grandmother, two daughters and one of their three granddaughters. The men in the book had marginal importance. All of the women had secrets that they did not reveal to any of their family. They take a tour of China together for two weeks in China. They really did not want to go, except for one the daughters, Nora. Nora wanted the trip bind their family together. Eventually, that goal did more forward in understanding but the secrets stood as barriers, it was extremely difficult to disclose them. The biggest secret of all was revealed not by the person who had it but by her husband.
I think the book could have been improved with editing and more deepth in the characters.
I hope that author does not get discouraged and continues to write further. The book is very ambitious but I hope that the auther takes one simpler themes.
August 21, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. This was less about China, which was a bit disappointing, and more about the experience of Chinese people who have left China. I found this the most interesting aspect of the book, the connection and lack of connection to China but, at the same time, the sense of alienation from the adopted country. I learned quite a bit about Chinese history as well. Some of the characters could have been fleshed out better but overall this was an great read.
January 6, 2024
A dynamic and intimate story about family and womanhood. It’s granular in the exploration of inter- and intrapersonal conflict, but capacious in viewing how these are all situated in culture and history. Deanne Fei is an excellent and engaging storyteller.
But four stars cause the ending wasn’t as satisfying to me as the rest of the book :(
But four stars cause the ending wasn’t as satisfying to me as the rest of the book :(
June 28, 2018
Nice story line about a disconnected family that trys to come together on a tour to the ancestral land of China. I expected a little more out of the story, and it ended on a note of I believe one person's regret.
October 7, 2018
I tried with this one, I really did. It just didn't work for me at all. I *think* I see what Fei was going for with this sort of character-driven, interwoven series of conflict, glimpse into the bigger picture sort of thing ? I think?
For starters, this book is like 350 pages and told from SIX different perspectives. I'm not someone who is usually bothered or put off by perspective switches, but these felt unnecessary. I'll even say at times they ran together for me. There wasn't enough space to really explore each character who had both the main conflicts/plot going on plus their own personal drama. It made me wish some of the plot points had been pared down because it felt so crowded that nothing got developed very well. It really kept me from feeling invested in any of the women, honestly. (Except maybe Irene. Why was everyone SO mean to Irene just to be like lol nah u right at the end???)
That brings me to the main plot of this - their China tour/reuniting/female bonding/learning about their grandmother and Chinese history (aka what I was expecting this to be about.) It felt like nothing at all happened for 300 pages and then all of this nonsense stuff was crammed into the very end. Had some of the reveals from the end happened way earlier in the book and then been explored more deeply I think it could have really worked. The way it wrapped up with everyone all of a sudden sort of making peace with conflicts that we hadn't truly dove into at all just didn't make sense to me.
The writing in this wasn't bad at all, but the plot was weak and characters one note. By the end of it, I wasn't invested at all and didn't care because these people and their problems felt so hollow and unrealistic. I think Fei is a talented writer. I just wish this story had been stronger because so much of it just *almost* worked.
For starters, this book is like 350 pages and told from SIX different perspectives. I'm not someone who is usually bothered or put off by perspective switches, but these felt unnecessary. I'll even say at times they ran together for me. There wasn't enough space to really explore each character who had both the main conflicts/plot going on plus their own personal drama. It made me wish some of the plot points had been pared down because it felt so crowded that nothing got developed very well. It really kept me from feeling invested in any of the women, honestly. (Except maybe Irene. Why was everyone SO mean to Irene just to be like lol nah u right at the end???)
That brings me to the main plot of this - their China tour/reuniting/female bonding/learning about their grandmother and Chinese history (aka what I was expecting this to be about.) It felt like nothing at all happened for 300 pages and then all of this nonsense stuff was crammed into the very end. Had some of the reveals from the end happened way earlier in the book and then been explored more deeply I think it could have really worked. The way it wrapped up with everyone all of a sudden sort of making peace with conflicts that we hadn't truly dove into at all just didn't make sense to me.
The writing in this wasn't bad at all, but the plot was weak and characters one note. By the end of it, I wasn't invested at all and didn't care because these people and their problems felt so hollow and unrealistic. I think Fei is a talented writer. I just wish this story had been stronger because so much of it just *almost* worked.
April 10, 2020
As a fellow 20 something currently living in China....whose own Taiwanese grandmother is turning 80 this year—this book was at times shockingly relatable and all in all incredibly powerful. My favorite book about China I’ve read in my time in China :)
April 30, 2010
It is to present-day China that Chinese/American Irene decides to take her 3 daughters, her Chinese mother, and Chinese sister to visit. The chapters alternately focus on each of the 6 females with their individual problematic lives, so the characters are very well developed. The only one I really had any empathy for was the 80 year old grandmother, who lived through all the wars of her young adulthood as a revolutionary feminist, until finally leaving China and her philandering husband 20 years ago. As occurs in many novels with elderly Chinese females, she isn't very likeable initially; but once you know her whole story and her secrets, you gain an understanding of her. Another excellent book from Goodreads First Reads.
April 18, 2015
This book came highly recommended by a friend. I really wanted to like it. The writing is beautiful and evocative. I'm 3/4 through the book and I'm still trying to like any of the characters. I'm at the "well, I'm 3/4 through so I might as well soldier on and finish the thing" stage.
I'm not carrying this book around snatching time to read it. It stays by my bedside table and I read at bedtime, but I'm not staying up late trading sleep for one more chapter.
It's beautifully written, the descriptions are word porn. I just couldn't relate to any of the characters.
I'm not carrying this book around snatching time to read it. It stays by my bedside table and I read at bedtime, but I'm not staying up late trading sleep for one more chapter.
It's beautifully written, the descriptions are word porn. I just couldn't relate to any of the characters.
March 5, 2022
Such a sensitively crafted story. When her husband died suddenly Irene Shen decides that her three daughters, her sister and her mum should take a trip to China to heal and bond together.
Each character here is well developed. There are family secrets and history that lay unspoken for years and in the process some truths are laid bare.
The issues of racism and orientalist notions are interestingly discussed- preconceived notions of oriental women, as portrayed by the media, western notions of exoticism and submissiveness.
It is interesting to see the new generation of women straddling the western- Asian divide, and this is faced in many migrant communities.
“Societies evolve constantly, while the homeland, for immigrants, is a fixed memory.”
Each character here is well developed. There are family secrets and history that lay unspoken for years and in the process some truths are laid bare.
The issues of racism and orientalist notions are interestingly discussed- preconceived notions of oriental women, as portrayed by the media, western notions of exoticism and submissiveness.
It is interesting to see the new generation of women straddling the western- Asian divide, and this is faced in many migrant communities.
“Societies evolve constantly, while the homeland, for immigrants, is a fixed memory.”
September 14, 2019
The writing was beautiful, but I found the book difficult to get in to. It wasn't until close to the end where I found myself caring about the characters.
September 14, 2011
I can't say enough good things about this book!!!
Deanna Fei has done to me what Hume did to Kant - awakened from my dogmatic slumber I feel invigorated once again to read and write...
It's just a great story! Some of the sentences and phrases are just gold... The type of thing where you stop to re-read sentences because of the way they glide off the tongue. It's rare that happens when I read nowadays so its such a joy when it does occur.
The development of the story is delightful - and one has to admire the way in which Fei does this through the voice of of so many protagonists. It's a simple story - but such an important one. the story it timeless but at the same time especially relevant given the place of China and its descendants in the modern world.
My only negatives are that the development of the plot is a bit choppy at a few points - it feels like a few things just jump out at you and they could have been more subtly introduced. Shock value can be good - but the introduction of these new ideas comes too quickly and disrupts the overall flow and development of the story.
But...it is the first book and I see great things for Deanna Fei!!
Can't wait to buy the next one!
Deanna Fei has done to me what Hume did to Kant - awakened from my dogmatic slumber I feel invigorated once again to read and write...
It's just a great story! Some of the sentences and phrases are just gold... The type of thing where you stop to re-read sentences because of the way they glide off the tongue. It's rare that happens when I read nowadays so its such a joy when it does occur.
The development of the story is delightful - and one has to admire the way in which Fei does this through the voice of of so many protagonists. It's a simple story - but such an important one. the story it timeless but at the same time especially relevant given the place of China and its descendants in the modern world.
My only negatives are that the development of the plot is a bit choppy at a few points - it feels like a few things just jump out at you and they could have been more subtly introduced. Shock value can be good - but the introduction of these new ideas comes too quickly and disrupts the overall flow and development of the story.
But...it is the first book and I see great things for Deanna Fei!!
Can't wait to buy the next one!
October 30, 2011
A compelling read about three sisters first generation American sisters who travel back to their parents' native China with their mom, aunt and grandmother, a former nationalist revolutionary forced to flee the Communists to Taiwan.
The author does a great job of conveying the mixed emotions of the sisters as they spend more time with their older relatives, than at any previous point in their adult lives. Their mother sacrificed her career in favor of stay at home motherhood, and the trip is sort of a desperate attempt to illustrate that her choices were justified. The mom was indeed the hardest character for me to "buy," although the scenes with her buying whatever the tour guide wishes to sell are pretty priceless.
I can see that readers might take issue with the grandmother, while harsh and hardened, has a logical reason for her outlook on life. So few of us in the western world have walked in the grandmother's shoes that I find it impossible to judge her pivotal life decision.
I'm also a huge sucker for any first generation tale. The drama of loving two countries/cultures, and feeling totally at home in both and neither at the same time, really resonates with me.
I thought the descriptions of contemporary China and its relatively nascent tourism industry were spot on.
The author does a great job of conveying the mixed emotions of the sisters as they spend more time with their older relatives, than at any previous point in their adult lives. Their mother sacrificed her career in favor of stay at home motherhood, and the trip is sort of a desperate attempt to illustrate that her choices were justified. The mom was indeed the hardest character for me to "buy," although the scenes with her buying whatever the tour guide wishes to sell are pretty priceless.
I can see that readers might take issue with the grandmother, while harsh and hardened, has a logical reason for her outlook on life. So few of us in the western world have walked in the grandmother's shoes that I find it impossible to judge her pivotal life decision.
I'm also a huge sucker for any first generation tale. The drama of loving two countries/cultures, and feeling totally at home in both and neither at the same time, really resonates with me.
I thought the descriptions of contemporary China and its relatively nascent tourism industry were spot on.
November 3, 2016
Technically a 2.5-star rating. It was slightly better than "ok" in some parts.
My mom recommended this book to me, so...you know. She's not usually a reader, so I was prepped. This book is heavy on mother/daughter stuff; that was expected. That's not a good/bad thing inherently, but the characters all felt flimsy, superficial and unlikable. Sophie would be the most sympathetic character, if she weren't also the least developed.
The plot was also predictable (the women go on a trip that results in life-changing bonding/arcing). There's a lot of stilted dialogue, much of it coming out of Kay's mouth (she talks - or lectures - like an insufferable professor). There's also a good amount of improbability, mostly in the form of the grandmother's and mother's fluency in English, and in Kay's fluency in Chinese. And, I gotta tell ya, if I'd never met my grandfather in my entire life, and didn't care enough to ask about him or force the issue, I really don't think I would be so upset if he were hospitalized.
My mom recommended this book to me, so...you know. She's not usually a reader, so I was prepped. This book is heavy on mother/daughter stuff; that was expected. That's not a good/bad thing inherently, but the characters all felt flimsy, superficial and unlikable. Sophie would be the most sympathetic character, if she weren't also the least developed.
The plot was also predictable (the women go on a trip that results in life-changing bonding/arcing). There's a lot of stilted dialogue, much of it coming out of Kay's mouth (she talks - or lectures - like an insufferable professor). There's also a good amount of improbability, mostly in the form of the grandmother's and mother's fluency in English, and in Kay's fluency in Chinese. And, I gotta tell ya, if I'd never met my grandfather in my entire life, and didn't care enough to ask about him or force the issue, I really don't think I would be so upset if he were hospitalized.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2011
I really wanted to like this book since it was gift from the author, who by the way has an incredible story of her own. At first I was intrigued by the characters but then I guess I got bored since I'm used to reading books with romance and fast-paced action. But, then I caught on on how the lives of these women were intertwined and new secret were being unraveled, and read nearly half the book in one day because I really wanted to know if they'd all have their happy ending. Ultimately this book is a great read for women, but being 17 and never actually being in love before some parts were hard to relate but none the less interesting. It was cool to try and read something out of my comfort zone and I'm pleased. I highly recommend this to women in their early 20s and up, because they may not be able to relate to the character's exact problems, but maybe they may have once had similar feelings.
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March 31, 2010Mothers/Daughters and the Sights & Sounds of China
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Deanna Fei's book, "A Thread of the Sky". This novel weaves a marvelous tapestry - both with the relationships of grandmother, sisters, and daughters and the history and perceptions of life that each brings to their two-week vacation trip to China.
I found the characters to be very realistic in their relationships with each other and in their reactions to what they were seeing. Fei does a marvelous job describing the scenes in various Chinese locales and the reactions of the Chinese -American daughers to the food, the shops, the toilet facilities as well as the actual sights.
This would be a great discussion book for book groups.
January 23, 2011
This is a wonderful, touching and powerful book. The characters are wonderfully flawed, passionate, beautiful and human. I identified so deeply with the immigrant experience of the mothers and daughters. Fei is a skilled writer who is by turns lyrical, funny, sexy, and always smart and affirming of her readers. The story spans nations and continents but has a great deal of emotional intimacy. The themes of love, loss, family, politics are well drawn. I am looking forward to her next novel!
May 14, 2010
Deanna Fei's A Thread of Sky is a beautifully written story with well-crafted characterizations, and it is emotionally driven-it was never a dull moment. This book has some interesting insights on being Asian-American, esp. being a woman, in America and China. The only small complaint is the ending, I would had liked to see an aftermath or one year later conclusion to all of the characters.Nevertheless, an excellent addition to anyone's library.
May 25, 2010
Lovely, lovely writing; References Alzheimer's as "brain plaques and fibrillary tangles," "strands caught in knots." Her style is wonderfully literary, yet compelling about sisters, mother, and grandmother's return to China for a trip; and relationships and lives so differently lived. Philosophical observations keenly observed, choices of women, foward pull and backward pull, one's place within the generations and the society. Wonderful read.
October 27, 2010
This was a well written novel though I found myself only half interested while reading it. I loved the author's choice of words, but wasn't always fond of the story I was reading.
The whole book was a mix of these feelings.
So maybe not my favorite read, but one I am sure women's lit fans will love!
2.5/5
The whole book was a mix of these feelings.
So maybe not my favorite read, but one I am sure women's lit fans will love!
2.5/5
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March 13, 2016Mothers and daughters, a complicated love.
"Mom was starting to grow old, while Sophie was becoming grown up. She was stronger than Mom now." Karin and me in Hawaii with the rental car. xo
"But you might never feel ready to be a mother, until you become a mother. That's what your child teaches you how. That's what you did for me." Camille xo
"Mom was starting to grow old, while Sophie was becoming grown up. She was stronger than Mom now." Karin and me in Hawaii with the rental car. xo
"But you might never feel ready to be a mother, until you become a mother. That's what your child teaches you how. That's what you did for me." Camille xo
January 7, 2019
This book had caught my interest because I enjoy reading about other countries and other cultures. I have enjoyed several books which were set in China or were about Chinese people in America. However, this one was just okay for me. Although 5 women, a grandmother, a mother and her 3 daughters, and an aunt go on a two week tour of China together, the descriptions of the places they visited were really fragmented. I think Deanna Fei is a very talented writer but her writing style just wasn't for me.
It was difficult for me to slog through all the bad feelings between the women---between sisters and between daughters and mothers. The dilemmas they faced intrigued me but all of the women seemed so unsettled in their lives and feeling so fearful of their feelings towards other people. In the beginning of the novel, a father and husband has died in an automobile accident the same day he has left his wife and daughters to move away. His death has affected his wife and daughters in different ways and for some of them, their grief has been delayed. Although each of the women is in a relationship with a male character, their relationships are limited by their fears and regrets.
I think a main theme of the book is relationships between women--mothers, daughters, and sisters--- in a family and this book definitely deals with many issues in those relationships but none of the characters were ones I felt I could relate to or even come to like and admire.
It was difficult for me to slog through all the bad feelings between the women---between sisters and between daughters and mothers. The dilemmas they faced intrigued me but all of the women seemed so unsettled in their lives and feeling so fearful of their feelings towards other people. In the beginning of the novel, a father and husband has died in an automobile accident the same day he has left his wife and daughters to move away. His death has affected his wife and daughters in different ways and for some of them, their grief has been delayed. Although each of the women is in a relationship with a male character, their relationships are limited by their fears and regrets.
I think a main theme of the book is relationships between women--mothers, daughters, and sisters--- in a family and this book definitely deals with many issues in those relationships but none of the characters were ones I felt I could relate to or even come to like and admire.
September 28, 2022
Three generations of women have, if not severed their ties with each other, have let those ties stretch quite thin. They are uncomfortable with each other, don't know how to talk easily with each other. In the hopes they will realize they belong together as a family, Irene brings her mother, her sister, and her three daughters together for a two week tour of China, from which her parents had fled to the USA after WWII. We get to know a iittle of China at the same time as we learn about these 6 women, as they come to accept each other and start to learn how to fit together again.
One thing that unsettled me was the extreme sense of alienation the daughters and sisters seemed to feel that kept them apart from most other Americans, a situation which they all blamed on being American Chinese. Not that I don't believe this to be the case for any American Chinese, or people of other ethnic backgrounds in North America. I know that prejudice and bigotry abound. But in this book it seemed to be the only way for Chinese Americans to feel, the only situation for them to be in.
I did enjoy this book, especially the 2nd and 3rd parts when the women are getting to know each other again at the same time as they learn more about themselves. I just needed to get past the anger and bitterness that was so thick in the first part. I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading but I ended up being glad I did.
One thing that unsettled me was the extreme sense of alienation the daughters and sisters seemed to feel that kept them apart from most other Americans, a situation which they all blamed on being American Chinese. Not that I don't believe this to be the case for any American Chinese, or people of other ethnic backgrounds in North America. I know that prejudice and bigotry abound. But in this book it seemed to be the only way for Chinese Americans to feel, the only situation for them to be in.
I did enjoy this book, especially the 2nd and 3rd parts when the women are getting to know each other again at the same time as they learn more about themselves. I just needed to get past the anger and bitterness that was so thick in the first part. I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading but I ended up being glad I did.
March 28, 2021
I don't normally read realistic fiction. I prefer fantasy or romance or something that allows me to escape from reality. This book forces you to confront it, but in a beautiful way.
I bought this book from a library book sale without knowing anything about it because the cover is gorgeous. I immediately added it to my pile and purchased it. Props to whoever designed it.
This book deals with so many hard topics: identity, family, unplanned pregnancy, eating disorders, cheating, purpose, and image. In my opinion, the author did a tremendous job at portraying the anxiety and frustration of life through so many points of view. She handled them with grace and prose in a very very mature way.
The writing style of this book was breathtaking. I don't know how to describe it other than saying that I wish I could write as good as Deanna Fei. I was left speachless over the most insignificant details because the imagery and syntax was just so beautiful. I'm not a writer and I've never pretended to be, but this book made me want to be.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book. My impluse buys always end up knocking my socks off.
I bought this book from a library book sale without knowing anything about it because the cover is gorgeous. I immediately added it to my pile and purchased it. Props to whoever designed it.
This book deals with so many hard topics: identity, family, unplanned pregnancy, eating disorders, cheating, purpose, and image. In my opinion, the author did a tremendous job at portraying the anxiety and frustration of life through so many points of view. She handled them with grace and prose in a very very mature way.
The writing style of this book was breathtaking. I don't know how to describe it other than saying that I wish I could write as good as Deanna Fei. I was left speachless over the most insignificant details because the imagery and syntax was just so beautiful. I'm not a writer and I've never pretended to be, but this book made me want to be.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book. My impluse buys always end up knocking my socks off.
October 23, 2022
I wanted to love this book, I loved the first part (about 100 pages) and the initial development of the characters and their connections to each other. And while this is a well-written and well-crafted intricate work, I just found the characters and story itself to be too tedious to capture my attention.
This story is narrated from 6 different perspectives, which got a little rough to keep track of, but I love parallel narratives. This one missed the mark for me, as I felt the individual characters' stories were not compelling and lacked depth and nuance. In particular, the 2 older daughters of Irene (Nora and Kay, respectively), I found frustrating to read and difficult to believe (is anyone really this dense and holier-than-thou?).
I love stories about generational trauma and character(s) attempting to break that cycle, but nothing felt changed at the end of the book, I didn't feel like any of the characters progressed in a meaningful way, but more that they moved forward in an obligatory fashion, like that of an author checking points off a list rather than allowing their characters to progress naturally.
This story is narrated from 6 different perspectives, which got a little rough to keep track of, but I love parallel narratives. This one missed the mark for me, as I felt the individual characters' stories were not compelling and lacked depth and nuance. In particular, the 2 older daughters of Irene (Nora and Kay, respectively), I found frustrating to read and difficult to believe (is anyone really this dense and holier-than-thou?).
I love stories about generational trauma and character(s) attempting to break that cycle, but nothing felt changed at the end of the book, I didn't feel like any of the characters progressed in a meaningful way, but more that they moved forward in an obligatory fashion, like that of an author checking points off a list rather than allowing their characters to progress naturally.
April 9, 2022
Too many characters! I enjoyed the story but having six main characters and moving from one point of view to another was confusing. Halfway through I was having a hard time remembering who did what. I felt like I never really got to know Sophia as only a few chapters were devoted to her and Susan just seemed to be there to give a sister to Irene.
I did like the descriptions of China, a country that I know little about, and found myself looking up places on the map at the front of the book as well as searching the internet for pictures related to some of the places they visited.
And then there is the ending. A few chapters from the end it looked like there might be something big but plot-wise it just fell flat after that.
I did like the descriptions of China, a country that I know little about, and found myself looking up places on the map at the front of the book as well as searching the internet for pictures related to some of the places they visited.
And then there is the ending. A few chapters from the end it looked like there might be something big but plot-wise it just fell flat after that.
July 15, 2012
A Thread of Sky is the story of six women - Irene Shen, whose husband of thirty years is killed in an accident four hours after he left her to pursue an opportunity in Maine and she said "Good riddance" in response to him leaving; her three daughters, Nora, who's struggling with commitment issues with a fiancé who cheated on her, Kay, who was tired of the question "Where are you from?" and decided to find out by going to China, and the teenager Sophie, suffering from bulimia and self-image issues; Irene's poet sister, Susan, who doesn't agree with everything Irene does; and their eighty-year old mother, Lin, who has more to her history than she lets on. None of these women really connect well with each other. Their relationships appear to be more obligatory than warm. Now Irene wants to change all that and bring the family closer. And her solution to that is to go on a tour to China - all six of them. Except no one's really interested or enthusiastic about it.
And so the six set out on this package tour, in the process visiting many "must-sees" and confronting each other about their personal issues. Over the next several pages, we come to know their weakness, their similarities and differences in opinion, their past scandals and secrets, and their love lives.
This book was beautiful! I was already sold by the very description - I've previously read and loved books that were told from the perspectives of many pivotal women characters so I knew that A Thread of Sky was going to be yet another book that I'd enjoy. True enough, I loved getting into the "skins" of these six women. Except for Susan, whose character I found too flat and one-dimensional, I loved every other central character in this book.
The strength of this novel lies in its characters. I loved it that even the supporting characters were well-portrayed, with their tiny flaws and standout characteristics coming through in the beautiful prose. Irene clearly had a difficult life. All six women have felt the pressure to perform. Lin Yulan, having been a revolutionary in her youth could tolerate no weaknesses in her daughters. She would push them to aim for the sky and beyond. Irene has been determined not to be like her mother to her daughters, but the pressure to perform is still felt on the fringes. Their failures and troubles in their marriages also show up in the girls' relationships - the insecurities, the difficulties with trusting someone, the struggle to say "yes".
I found that I could most connect with Nora. Nora, who's hesitant to slow down for even one minute in her high-powered Wall Street job on the trading floor. A lone woman among so many men. Always on her toes. Nora worries all the time about her fiancé cheating on her, even though he loves her so much and wants to marry her. Eventually he does, and it breaks something inside her. I couldn't relate much to her sister, Kay, who wanted to address her identity issues by going straight to the mainland and living among the very poor people. I guess it's because I don't think it's necessary that you need to live really poor to understand a country well, when a country is a potpourri of all kinds of people, that one sect alone doesn't personify it.
On the other hand, Irene's feelings really made me feel sad. No matter what she did, it was never enough for her daughters or her mother. She really wants to bond with her family, but she doesn't seem to be doing it the right way. Eventually when she says, "You just want to take a stand against me", the poignancy of her situation is all the more hard to absorb. Her mother, Lin, yearned for both her daughters to have a "fire" within themselves, and when they don't seem to stand up to her expectations, she marks them as "fools". Whereas her son, who has never had any ambition doesn't ever incur her wrath. Of course, there's an explanation for that at the end of the book, but I still chalked it up to the highly patriarchal society that most Asian countries encouraged.
This book is definitely a great read for women. The difficulties faced by Asian women brought about by their upbringings and cultural beliefs, the problems they faced simply because they were women were nicely tied in with the narrative without appearing planted for dramatic effect or plot control purposes. It also raises a lot of questions, primarily that of whether people are really that different because they look different. As Kay says many times, it's unnerving to be asked time and again about where her home is, when the answer is Brooklyn. How does one even begin to contemplate an answer to such a question? Just because someone looks Asian? The book also wonders whether there is any purpose to preserving history when "Those who remembered would always remember. Those who didn't would never understand."
I was very fascinated by the tour that the women undertook. It felt very realistic, almost as if I was a part of the tour as well. In the afterword, the author Deanna Fei mentions that she did undertake such a tour with her sisters, mother, aunt and grandmother, which I guess made the description of the tour all the more realistic. Overall, this is a really beautiful read. It's a wonderful window into modern-day China, and in the end, it really makes you want to go on one such a tour and see the places that this book visited.
And so the six set out on this package tour, in the process visiting many "must-sees" and confronting each other about their personal issues. Over the next several pages, we come to know their weakness, their similarities and differences in opinion, their past scandals and secrets, and their love lives.
This book was beautiful! I was already sold by the very description - I've previously read and loved books that were told from the perspectives of many pivotal women characters so I knew that A Thread of Sky was going to be yet another book that I'd enjoy. True enough, I loved getting into the "skins" of these six women. Except for Susan, whose character I found too flat and one-dimensional, I loved every other central character in this book.
The strength of this novel lies in its characters. I loved it that even the supporting characters were well-portrayed, with their tiny flaws and standout characteristics coming through in the beautiful prose. Irene clearly had a difficult life. All six women have felt the pressure to perform. Lin Yulan, having been a revolutionary in her youth could tolerate no weaknesses in her daughters. She would push them to aim for the sky and beyond. Irene has been determined not to be like her mother to her daughters, but the pressure to perform is still felt on the fringes. Their failures and troubles in their marriages also show up in the girls' relationships - the insecurities, the difficulties with trusting someone, the struggle to say "yes".
I found that I could most connect with Nora. Nora, who's hesitant to slow down for even one minute in her high-powered Wall Street job on the trading floor. A lone woman among so many men. Always on her toes. Nora worries all the time about her fiancé cheating on her, even though he loves her so much and wants to marry her. Eventually he does, and it breaks something inside her. I couldn't relate much to her sister, Kay, who wanted to address her identity issues by going straight to the mainland and living among the very poor people. I guess it's because I don't think it's necessary that you need to live really poor to understand a country well, when a country is a potpourri of all kinds of people, that one sect alone doesn't personify it.
On the other hand, Irene's feelings really made me feel sad. No matter what she did, it was never enough for her daughters or her mother. She really wants to bond with her family, but she doesn't seem to be doing it the right way. Eventually when she says, "You just want to take a stand against me", the poignancy of her situation is all the more hard to absorb. Her mother, Lin, yearned for both her daughters to have a "fire" within themselves, and when they don't seem to stand up to her expectations, she marks them as "fools". Whereas her son, who has never had any ambition doesn't ever incur her wrath. Of course, there's an explanation for that at the end of the book, but I still chalked it up to the highly patriarchal society that most Asian countries encouraged.
This book is definitely a great read for women. The difficulties faced by Asian women brought about by their upbringings and cultural beliefs, the problems they faced simply because they were women were nicely tied in with the narrative without appearing planted for dramatic effect or plot control purposes. It also raises a lot of questions, primarily that of whether people are really that different because they look different. As Kay says many times, it's unnerving to be asked time and again about where her home is, when the answer is Brooklyn. How does one even begin to contemplate an answer to such a question? Just because someone looks Asian? The book also wonders whether there is any purpose to preserving history when "Those who remembered would always remember. Those who didn't would never understand."
I was very fascinated by the tour that the women undertook. It felt very realistic, almost as if I was a part of the tour as well. In the afterword, the author Deanna Fei mentions that she did undertake such a tour with her sisters, mother, aunt and grandmother, which I guess made the description of the tour all the more realistic. Overall, this is a really beautiful read. It's a wonderful window into modern-day China, and in the end, it really makes you want to go on one such a tour and see the places that this book visited.
June 17, 2018
She's lost a husband and now fears losing her daughters. Irene concocts a plan to bring her family together through a trip to the land of their ancestors. Three generations of women tour China and the questionable population out to bilk them at every opportunity. Six women with emotional issues and uncomfortable relationships with men, each other and their own bodies. I'm pretty sure that I wasn't the target audience but I hoped to find this more enchanting than I did.
December 6, 2021
I really enjoyed this from a torturous parallel life point of view. There were times that the relationship between the parents and adult children and their Chinese nature were at odds. A lot of the tight lipped secrets and the clash of East meets West were very familiar.
The Alzheimers portion seemed superfluous. I'm not sure it was necessary other than to highlight how prolific and extremely talented Irene was before giving it up for motherhood. We still have that problem these days.
The Alzheimers portion seemed superfluous. I'm not sure it was necessary other than to highlight how prolific and extremely talented Irene was before giving it up for motherhood. We still have that problem these days.
June 10, 2025
my big glaring assessment of this book is that it should have been a collection of essays instead, or even a memoir. i hate that deanna fei is such a talented writer who just failed to create characters that felt like real people and not unfeeling NPCs. twist at the end was really great, truly devastating but because almost none of the characters were convincingly human it fell flatter than it SHOULD have. ts pmo
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