This month we read The Bonesetter’s Daughter
by Amy Tan
(Published January 1991, 400 pages)
Hosted by Nina Yatski
Book it Sisters’ Grade: B
Ruth Young and her widowed mother, LuLing, have always had a tumultuous relationship. Now, before she succumbs to forgetfulness, LuLing gives Ruth some of her writings, which reveal a side of LuLing that Ruth has never known. . . .
In a remote mountain village where ghosts and tradition rule, LuLing grows up in the care of her mute Precious Auntie as the family endures a curse laid upon a relative known as the bonesetter. When headstrong LuLing rejects the marriage proposal of the coffinmaker, a shocking series of events are set in motion–all of which lead back to Ruth and LuLing in modern San Francisco. The truth that Ruth learns from her mother’s past will forever change her perception of family, love, and forgiveness
Here is our review:
| Judy Bush | A- | It felt like the same book as the Joy Luck Club, which I read 20 years ago. Mother-daughter angst. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story about the mother and felt vested in her life. However, the daughter's real life relationships were flat and uninteresting. Amy Tan has a gift for storytelling, and her descriptions of growing up in China were vivid and captivating. |
| Janet Maisel | ||
| Mary Halsey | B+ | Ruth's weaknesses made the first third difficult to read, but learning her mother's story and of her grandmother brought great healing to her life with her mother. Loved the dedication. |
| Tricia Gadberry | B | This book was a little difficult for me to get into but I did enjoy reading about the Chinese culture and the work that the women did for the ink shop. I felt like Amy Tan left too many loose ends and some underdeveloped story lines for my taste. I'm not sure I would read any more of her books after reading this one. |
| Suzanne Rigby | B | I enjoyed the part of the story that dealt with life in China and her mother's story. It took awhile to really get into the book. I thought the mother-daughter relationship was intriguing and is Amy Tan at her best. |
| Denise Link | ||
| Cheryl Clowes | ||
| Nina Yatsko | B | I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but as Trish said, it did lack in some places in term of character development. It was a good read and I was fascinated by Lu Ling's story over all. |
| Megan Lewis |