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What Members Thought
I really enjoyed this book by Lisa See. A part of me wishes that I would have read it instead of listening to it on audio. I didn't really like the reader of this one, even though she is apparently well regarded in her field.
See does a great job of depicting what China was during the 1950s, which was also the time of the great famine. The story picks up where
left off. After learning her family secrets, Joy takes off to China to find her father, with her mother, Pearl, not far behind. The s
...more
See does a great job of depicting what China was during the 1950s, which was also the time of the great famine. The story picks up where
left off. After learning her family secrets, Joy takes off to China to find her father, with her mother, Pearl, not far behind. The s
...more
brilliant insights into sometimes hidden cultural aspects of life in China.
While See does well in her choice of subject matter given that the Great Leap Forward is under-examined in Western fiction, I'm totally thrown off by the stop-and-go pacing of her story. Minor events get a wealth of buildup, while major turning points are presented and dispensed with in just a few pages. I'm also frustrated by the characterization of Joy, whose about-face from hopelessly naive to intensely wise is underexplored. Her experiences are a natural catalyst for this transition, but I w
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I discovered after I'd read the first few chapters that I had read this great book before so I skimmed the rest to refresh my memory. See is a great source to learn about American and Chineses culture and interaction.
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Thanks, Lisa See.... Now I'm addicted to reading anything about Chinese women in history. I especially enjoyed this one because it's so easy for American women to connect with Joy.
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What a powerful and inspiring book. I LOVE Lisa See's books and this one does not dissapoint.
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Mar 12, 2011
Kat (A Journey In Reading)
marked it as to-read
Shelves:
owned-books,
historical-fiction
May 02, 2011
Ruth
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Jun 03, 2011
Megan
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Nov 26, 2011
Rachel
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Dec 22, 2011
Deedee
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Mar 18, 2012
Patricia
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Aug 07, 2012
Enthu_Kidlets
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Feb 04, 2013
Cassie
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Oct 27, 2015
J
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Jan 10, 2016
Jocelyn
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Jul 14, 2017
Anya
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Nov 23, 2019
Michelle
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