This is an older book by Amy Tan who has become one of our most popular authors. Having read a couple of her books, I find that they tend to follow a pattern which has been very satisfying for her readers. What she does very well is present Chinese culture in Chinese/American families. This usually means there is a tyrannical older mother or grandmother and younger members of the family who having been born here are trying to live like young Americans, following popular American culture. What is not so good is that the books have familiar plots that have become somewhat tired.
Having said that, if you are a fan of Amy Tan, you are sure to enjoy this book. Ruth is a first generation Chinese/American living in California who is ghostwriter for a publishing company of self-help books. She lives with her partner who has two pre-teen daughters who sit around rolling their eyes and appearing bored. The most interesting character in the novel is LuLing, Ruth’s immigrant mother. LuLing is cranky, probably in early stage Alzheimers, and very much attached to her Chinese culture and superstitions. The book is at its most engaging when it turns to the past and LuLing’s life in a rural mountain village. She lived through the Japanese invasion and the Chinese Civil War. Her mentor was a maimed woman whom she called “Precious Auntie,” whose own story plays an important part in the novel. LuLing was sent to an orphanage run by missionaries when the war came to her village. There is a mystery in LuLing’s past which accounts for her anger and discontent, and as her dementia seems to intensify, Ruth begins to unravel the secret of her mother’s past.
Tan writes well and parts of this books are enjoyable. The chapters dealing with modern day conflicts were less satisfying to me.
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