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rebeccazh's Reviews (2.89k)
3.5 stars. This is like a slice of life continuation of the first novel, exploring the poly relationship and each character's families. Definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a feel good read.
This book is almost like an anthology; it tells the stories of about seven characters (mothers and daughters) through 2-3 vignettes, some of which can be read independently. The writing is beautiful but it's purple prose at times. The seven characters' voices are honestly indistinguishable; I struggled to keep them separate and I constantly flipped back and forth to try to remember which woman I was reading about.
Note that this book is very very dated. The casual and dismissive attitudes towards other minorities was uncomfortable to read.
What I enjoyed about this book was that I found a story in which I see my mother, aunt and grandmother. This book also prompted me to reflect more on my mother's life. Amy Tan also imitated amazingly well the English speech of the Chinese immigrants.
The shame the daughters felt towards their mothers, the anger, the inability to understand, the frustration, the complicated love... That was so real. I particularly loved the Waverly and Lindo Jong pair because Lindo was one of the most critical and harsh mothers and Waverly (her daughter) was almost codependent. Her mom's opinions shaped all of hers. Lindo reminds me of my aunt a lot, lol, and a also my mom. The daughters' struggles with their roots/their mother's culture, the inability to speak/read Chinese, etc., or basically acculturation etc, were so relatable. I also appreciated seeing the generational trauma carried from mother to daughter. Many of the daughters end up struggling with the same things as their mothers (Lena and Ying Ying being like ghosts, Rose and An-Mei not having a voice).
Note that this book is very very dated. The casual and dismissive attitudes towards other minorities was uncomfortable to read.
What I enjoyed about this book was that I found a story in which I see my mother, aunt and grandmother. This book also prompted me to reflect more on my mother's life. Amy Tan also imitated amazingly well the English speech of the Chinese immigrants.
The shame the daughters felt towards their mothers, the anger, the inability to understand, the frustration, the complicated love... That was so real. I particularly loved the Waverly and Lindo Jong pair because Lindo was one of the most critical and harsh mothers and Waverly (her daughter) was almost codependent. Her mom's opinions shaped all of hers. Lindo reminds me of my aunt a lot, lol, and a also my mom. The daughters' struggles with their roots/their mother's culture, the inability to speak/read Chinese, etc., or basically acculturation etc, were so relatable. I also appreciated seeing the generational trauma carried from mother to daughter. Many of the daughters end up struggling with the same things as their mothers (Lena and Ying Ying being like ghosts, Rose and An-Mei not having a voice).
I'm logging this book although I didn't finish it because this book is quite good. The premise of the story is that a policeman dies in the line of duty and transmigrates into the past where he then has to deal with the challenges of the time.
Chrysanthemum Garden's translation is top tier. The English translations are natural, with a good flow and the translator provided detailed footnotes. The story is multiple POV, with side characters playing a part (hence the mammoth length).
This is a slow story, about the protagonist's efforts to make a life for himself in the past and the focus of the narrative is on how he builds a base of power for himself and how he then improves the lives of others. The story is concerned with society (how it runs), leadership and strategy. The hero here builds and runs a community. There is a romance subplot between the general and the protagonist too.
Dropping this as I'm sadly specifically in the mood for a political intrigue novel with lots of drama and angst and not in the mood for other things lol. I might pick this up again.
Chrysanthemum Garden's translation is top tier. The English translations are natural, with a good flow and the translator provided detailed footnotes. The story is multiple POV, with side characters playing a part (hence the mammoth length).
This is a slow story, about the protagonist's efforts to make a life for himself in the past and the focus of the narrative is on how he builds a base of power for himself and how he then improves the lives of others. The story is concerned with society (how it runs), leadership and strategy. The hero here builds and runs a community. There is a romance subplot between the general and the protagonist too.
Dropping this as I'm sadly specifically in the mood for a political intrigue novel with lots of drama and angst and not in the mood for other things lol. I might pick this up again.
Vague setting and rather unlikeable hero who had the whole I Am a Brooding Alpha Hero laid on so thick it was a bit tiresome. Awesome heroine though.
Made my way through the Timeless Fairy Tales series and this was great!!! I loved how the romance unfolded. It was so cute.
Read on KU. Intriguing retelling because the hero is Bluebeard. This book is quite solid -- there is some serious mythology and worldbuilding going on, and I am very intrigued by Bluebeard's mystery and what it all means. However, something about this story just kind of turns my stomach. Bluebeard's characterization just puts me off, I can't really pinpoint it. Maybe it is his casual violence against women, how he is said to be 'doing things differently for the heroine (because he cares)' when he treats her like a possession, or maybe it is the subtle atmosphere of normalized violence against the heroine. I don't know. I probably will try the author's other books because I really liked the strong and detailed worldbuilding/lore.
Read on KU. This was OK but I just didn't feel motivated to finish it. I think I'm not vibing with the author. Tried her other book, A Beautiful Curse (frog princess retelling) and couldn't really get into it either.
I got on a free trial of Kindle Unlimited to have faster and more convenient access to romance novels lol. Tried and returned a few and then borrowed this. This is actually not all that bad. The premise is kinda similar to What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (which I really liked) but with an alpha male hero and a 'I'm different from other women' heroine. The heroine is very poised, competent, and feminine - and I do like her quite a bit. I don't really like alpha males but I could have gone with the story because the first 20-30% is quite compelling and very readable. Unfortunately what I find really hard to ignore is the subtle misogyny. Almost all the female characters (except our heroine) are absolutely unlikeable: backstabbing, conniving, jealous and competing for the male lead's attention. Blegh.
I totally didn't know that this is omegaverse lol! Tried this out coz it's on KU. Although this was not really to my tastes (too romance-heavy, barely any plot, and worldbuilding is quite vague and thin), I appreciate how the author made me emotionally invested in the characters. I liked her other series more because I don't really like omegaverse outside of the occasional fanfic lol.
I commend the author in being able to write so well about a young single mother in poverty and her kid, who is on the spectrum. I think that was really well-written. This book also touches on the topic of power, privilege and sexism/misogyny. Lots of heavy topics but it's handled well. I generally like the second book in the series more because the dynamic there is more fun for me, but this series about the Walls family is quite good. Hope she does one with the youngest brother.