Wow. I couldn't
put it down which says a lot because my schedule at the time was so busy
to be almost unbearable, but hey…I couldn't put it down. The characterization
was sincere, realistic, pathetic, vital and overall intrusive to my emotional
and mental state. Now, that's what a book should do! Thank you Linda Mah
for introducing me to one of my favorite reads. The story begins with a
normal American family scene in which Dad is young but in the hospital dying.
He see's an entity at the foot of his death-bed and tells his wife that
the entity is demanding he find his daughter born to his first wife in China.
Of Course, the wife of present didn't know about any wife in China, but
as it is a death wish she does indeed find the daughter of her husband.
Shipped to America from a small Chinese community and insinuated into an
all-american chinese heritage family, the unsophisticated girl is resented
by her new sister and room-mate. But, when she starts talking to dead things
and getting all spiritual the American sister is caught up in a love-hate-fear-awe
situation for the rest of her life. The horrible things the American sister
does to the Chinese sister brings forth both hearty, tears running down
your cheeks laughter as well as absolute disgust for the character who is
so obviously selfish and mean spirited. You'll love them both in the end
- but if I write any further on this I'll blow the story line for you. So
far, I haven't ruined anything as you'll have learned all this in the first
chapter or so, there is just so much to be surprised by in this book. "Things
are not as they seem", a truism that Amy Tann depicts so very very well.
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