like mother like daughter
Pros:
beautifully written historical novel
Cons:
a little slow
The Bottom Line:
Sad, but honest family story.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
This summer is of the woman. Yayas are about mothers mistreating daughters. I read Bonesetter's Daughter for the Chinese aspect of things, and it was actually similar.
For one thing, history is revealed. Ruth, the American daughter of a Chinese-peasant, discovers the history of her mother that makes her mother so difficult. Mom's mom was the handservant in the house, and Mom was born out of wedlock. She didn't know this until her mother committed a very nasty suicide. Then, the family put her in an orphanage, but because she had worked with ink and calligraphy, she was elevated to a teacher of sorts. Escaping to the US, she nonetheless lost her husband, her family, their business...and maintained only her "sister," who wasn't her sister after all. This family of women proved strong and resilient. Ruth, wavering in an unmarried relationship, becomes stronger....
In Yayas, of course, the mother mistreats the kids because she takes a wrong course of action to cure alcohol, and kids think they have done something to deserve this treatment. Revelation provides slow cure.
So, stories are stories. Amy Tan writes beautifully, and the arch sadness and aches pinpoint the hardships of life.
Bonesetter is a classic. The Chinese language, beliefs about everything, transition to Christian ideology, and old-country styles are explained with care. Amy Tan is a master for her hereditary background. The audios performed by her and Joan Chen must be incredible as well.
A must-read!
