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The Valley of Amazement

Amy Tan

Start date: December 1, 2018

Finish date: December 30, 2018

Discussion: Author's Pick

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What Members Thought

Jul 20, 2014 Aura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, all-time-favorites

This is a fantastic erotic story about courtesans in China superficially. Deep down this book made me cry. Deep down it is about mothers and daughters and love between people that transcend tragedy, time and cultures. I love this 900+ page book about Lucretia, Violet and Flora three generations of beautiful strong women who mean to be the best mothers they can and repeated the mistakes of their mothers. There is love, tragedy and redemption.

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Mar 04, 2014 Amie's Book Reviews rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-audiobooks-listened-to

The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan

I listened to the unabridged audiobook version of this book and what an experience it was.

I found The Valley of Amazement to be amazing. This epic tale is set in China (primarily in Shanghai, but in other locales as well) and spans the lifetime of Violet Mintern.

*This review contains spoilers*

Let me first warn readers who are easily flustered. This is a book about Chinese courtesans of the time period mentioned above. If you do not know what a courtesan is than ...more

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Feb 18, 2017 Ashley rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

This book started out a bit slow for me, but it's totally worth it to push through. The characters develop so much throughout the story. There are occasional dull/slow parts during the middle, but it always picks right back up. I look forward to reading more of Amy Tan's novels! ...more

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Jul 10, 2020 Jan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 20th-century, e-book, award-winning, fiction, china, historical-fiction, historical

Outstanding historical fiction by the great Amy Tan. The book tells the story of three generations of mothers and daughters set in Shanghai over the course of the first thirty years of the 20th Century. It is a page turner, and I needed tissues quite often. I highly recommend it.

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