Book Review: The Kitchen God’s Wife
photo by John Foley
The Kitchen God's Wife
by Amy Tan
544 Pages
Fiction
Stellar Five Chicken Award Book
For over fifty years two women, Winnie and Helen have guarded some of the worst possible secrets. When Helen confronts Winnie telling her she just can't keep the secrets anymore, Winnie must come clean. Interestingly the person Winnie most wanted to shield from the truth was her daughter Pearl, but Pearl has secrets of her own to disclose as well. After years of holding in the truth Winne is forced to endure the painfulness of remembering so that for the first time mother and daughter can understand each other as a whole, not just the pretty parts. The true question is, are their bonds strong enough to endure the truth, after having been taught generation after generation to hide the truth and put up a fake front?
I had never read Amy Tan before, I have seen people love her and I can't believe I was so slow to jump on the wagon. I grabbed up this read because it was just sitting there staring at me in the library, and it was an audio book. I love listening to international fiction audio books because I enjoy the accents and voices. Plus, yes, I have always liked being read to just as much as reading a book myself. After reading (listening to) The Kitchen God's Wife, I have a new author to stalk, yes a new favourite. I have a couple of her other books sitting on my shelf calling me right now. She is one of my new favourite authors.
In The Kitchen God's Wife Amy brings up women's issues in old China, she dispels some myths, she tells an amazing story and that she told flawlessly. The book is pretty dark at places, and the characters suffer much at the hands of those who claim to love them. It is hard to read at times, but even though it is intense I could not stop reading it. This read rocked my boat and could not have been better-the only thing was that I had wished it would have gone on for a little longer after the secrets were out, but the book was already 544 pages...so that probably wasn't an option. Maybe The Kitchen God's Wife part 2? ha!
Here I go again, giving out my most precious award. However Amy Tan takes it by a landslide. The Stellar Five Chicken Book Award is well deserved, very well deserved.
Have you read other books by Amy Tan? Which gets your highest recommendation? Why do you enjoy Amy Tan?
American Born Chinese
American Born Chinese
by Gene Luen Yang
233 pages
Graphic Novel, Chinese American Juvenile Fiction
First Second, Square Fish Publishing
Winner of the Michael L Prinz Award
Finalist for the 2006 National Book Awards
First graphic novel recognized by the National Book Foundation
Silly monkey god's trying to feel acepted, a young boy with a Chinese cousin, and images of a little boy in the back seat, hugging a robot and a lone tear sliding down one cheek, all combined to form a whole tale, a story that cannot be forgotten. From the first page, until the last there is nothing in Gene Yang's art and words that is less than perfect. The story twists and turns and finaly merges with such outstanding care and ease. The main story is that of an immigrant chinese boy and his experiences growing up, the way he is treated, and the way he feels about himself.
American Born Chinese is clever, sarcastic, brutal, and %100 honest. It doesn't cut american's any slack in our steriotypes of others, and doesn't cut the Chinese any either in the ones they have of Americans, and even more importantly of themselves. It feels so good that Yang brought the unspoken issues into words and images, I felt he wrote as to lift a weight off, and it worked.
This was a refreshing read, one that dispelled myths and created truths. The amazing thing is that it can be read on many different levels, so everyone reading would be on their own level of understanding of what is happening and the feelings of the characters. The more you know about China and the history, the deeper Yang will take you with him.
I enjoyed so much about this, but if I sat here and told you, then it would ruin it if you haven't read it yet, I couldn't get over the twists, snaps and turns. What seemed so unreal was how Yang gathered up the stories in such a seamless, and yet non-tacky manner. It was so good. I certainly recommend it to graphic novel lovers, to anyone interested in different cultures, but especially this would be a great book for young Asian Americans. Yang's strongest shout in American Born Chinese is for Chinese Americans to be proud of who they are, not apologize or ever make excuses for their culture, their parents or themselves. Perfectly outstanding!
And seriously, could Yang be any funnier, I love the picture of with the puppet sitting on the drum, and this one with the computer is too sweet. The guy has a sense of humor, no question!
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
by Dai Sajie ( 戴思杰 )
Novel, International Fiction
208 Pages
published in 2000
Anchor Books
During China's Cultural Revolution, books were banned, children of well-off parents were sent off alone to work in the rural communities, and the government held a fear of anything that did not blatantly support the movement. It was a time of darkness throughout the country, and where regulations and impediments became more important than all else. This is the time period of which Dai Sajie writes in his novel, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. A story of love, of jealousy, and of children becoming men and women in this critical time frame in China's government.
In this novel, two city boys are sent to work in the fields in the country. While there they meet and fall for the tailor's daughter, who proves to be the jewel to be had. This little seamstress, who is more beautiful than any of the other girls (at least in the opinion of her suitors).All three of them, the seamstress, Luo and Ma (the narrator) become so obsessed with reading these forbidden books that they are willing to risk it all, for they could be severely punished for their attempts at obtaining any book which is not governmental propaganda.
The longer I waited to review Balzac and the Little Seamstress, the more it sunk in, the more I just really did love it. I really did. I bought this a year ago, mostly because the cover completely captivated me and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It was actually even better that I expected, and you had better believe that I had height expectations. The simple and yet stout style of Dai Sijie is perfect for the book. He has written a superb gem here, the inside of the book is even better than the outside! I loved the main characters, the writing was just right and the story/plot couldn't have been any better. Seriously, it was just so good. Plus, it was about another country, and I love to read abroad!
If it could possibly get any better, it does. For all of us who are obsessed with books, it has a hidden special element of attraction. Can you even imagine if all books that were not written to glorify the current government were banned? What would become of us? I became completely entranced. This gets a full five chickens from me peeps, no doubt. So stop drooling over that beautiful cover and start drooling over the inside!
What would you do if books were banned? Can we even comprehend that here with all the freedoms we have?
Forever Lily
div style="text-align: center;">
Title: Forever Lily: An Unexpected Mother's Journey to Adoption in China
Author: Beth Nonte Russell
Pages: 240
Genre: Personal Memoir, Adoption
Yearly Count: 11
Beth Nonte Russell shares her story in this personal memoir of her voyage to China with her friend Alex. Alex has been trying to adopt a baby from China for a year and a half, when she gets the approval she chooses her friend Beth to go with her. Beth feels she is an unlikely choice, as they are just casual friends and she hasn't been very close in the last several months, but never a woman to turn down an adventure she agrees.
Alex goes throughout a series of doubt and withdrawals while they are in china, she says she just, "doesn't love this baby". The author takes the reader through her own roller coaster of emotions which are choreographed all too well with the manipulation of her friend Alex. She wants the baby, then she doesn't, wants it, then doesn't- the whole time Beth is falling more and more in love with this delightful baby girl. What could be her fate if not brought back to America? She is already months behind in physical and mental development, and soon will probably just fail to thrive.
I wished I would fall in love with this book, and I didn't. I thought it was interesting, but it was too much about the relationship between the two American women and not enough about the baby's or the orphanages or china. The little glimpses of those things that are there are beautiful and a joy to read about. All of the internal wars between the women- that is something that I could have done without. I think that if you were really interested in international adoption it might be different. This one just wasn't for me, I would have preferred the author to tell of a different adoption that wasn't so much about her relationship with Alex, more about their family, and how the girl ended up being integrated into their family.
Also (not to rip on it) but throughout the book there are dreams, dreams that are supposed to be her past connection with this particular child. It was too strange (and disjointed) and didn't really work for me.
What did you think? Did you read it and love it? How do you do when you have to write negative reviews? I can't make all my reviews glowing, and I do not make apologies, this one just wasn't for me.
Other Blogger Reviews:
The Book Nest
The Written Word
Ramya's Bookshelf
Book Chatter and Other Stuff
