I was really torn between giving this a three or a four. The story itself was truly great. The plot was wonderful and engaging from start to finish. There weren't really any parts that felt slow or dragged on. However, despite all of that, I just didn't have the same level of connection and care for the characters as I perhaps should have. It's not that the characters were badly written or anything, it just didn't quite tug at my heartstrings in the way that I expected. In that regard, it left me with a bit of a Meh feeling. It's a shame really, because the story had so much potential to be truly outstanding if only I could have felt more invested in the characters. But overall, it was still a good read, just not quite as amazing as it could have been.

In The Bonesetter's Daughter, Tan delves deep into the complex themes of mother-daughter relationships, intergenerational trauma, and the challenges of caring for an aging parent.

The contemporary storyline占据了书中一半以上的篇幅，而历史时间线则在过半后才开始。若不是结局将一切巧妙地串联起来，以及我自己有过类似的经历，我不确定自己是否会如此喜欢这本书。我原本希望有更多的双时间线叙事。

我有多位亲戚患有痴呆症，所以露丝应对母亲痴呆症的情节，以及意识到家族历史因此而丢失，对我来说很有共鸣。故事的结局总体是积极的，给人一种充满希望的基调。我完全没有想到她会与阿特重逢——这是一个不错的惊喜，而且与露丝早期与他的关系中所展现的性格非常契合。我觉得在故事的结尾，露丝和阿特都通过良好的沟通（！！！）和重新唤醒的爱，成长为更好的人。阿特和露丝将她母亲送进护理机构的方式很有趣；为了痴呆症患者的利益而对他们撒谎的伦理道德是什么呢？我也做过这样的事（当他们在一天内第四十次不记得我是谁时，真的有必要重申我是他们不记得的成年子女的孙女吗？），但我不确定自己是否能像他们那样精心策划一个谎言，假装氡气泄漏并告诉她住房是免费的。然而，这确实帮助陆玲显著提高了生活质量，这一点不可低估。值得深思。

总的来说，我认为这本书不是谭恩美的最佳作品，但它读起来还不错。The Kitchen God's Wife和The Hundred Secret Senses对我的影响都更大。我还没有读过她最著名的那本书，但我发现她的作品很容易让人沉浸其中，且发人深省，所以我可能很快就会去读它。

内容警告：暴力、创伤性伤害、阿尔茨海默病诊断。

My kind of read!

This is the type of book that truly captures my interest. It's not just a story; it's an experience. The words seem to dance off the page, drawing me in and making me forget everything else around me.

The characters are so vivid and real that I feel as if I know them personally. Their joys and sorrows become my own, and I find myself rooting for them every step of the way.

The plot is full of twists and turns, keeping me on the edge of my seat and eager to see what happens next. I can't put the book down, even when I know I should.

This is the kind of read that makes me lose track of time and makes me grateful for the power of literature. It's a treasure that I will cherish and recommend to others.

In conclusion, this is my kind of read, and I can't wait to discover more books like it.

When you were a teenager, did you think your mother caused you unique and tragic disappointments?

She didn't. Probably not tragic and definitely not unique. Billions of others were enraged with their mothers' injustices.

Amy Tan's 2001 novel The Bonesetter's Daughter explores strained mother/daughter relationships.

Perhaps the book could be called formulaic in a sense, because Tan has done a number of these multigenerational stories.

But she writes them with heart and insight and realism and humor - I suppose you either like this sort of thing or you don't. I do.

Tan's hometown opera company in San Francisco commissioned an operatic version from composer Stewart Wallace, with Tan herself creating the libretto.

After reading the novel, I imagine that the opera is quite compelling and moving.

In The Bonesetter's Daughter, there are four main characters.

In the present, we have the 46-year-old Ruth and her 70-year-old mother LuLing, living in San Francisco.

In the past, we have the younger version of mother LuLing, age 35, and Ruth, age 11, living in Berkeley.

Major sections of the book also go back to Luling's childhood in China in the 1920s to 1940s.

Throughout, the story is a chronicle of the love-hate relationship that they and so many mothers and daughters share.

And of the power of apologies and forgiveness.

The title character, The Bonesetter's Daughter, was LuLing's nursemaid.

Ruth has always known that her mother was very close to her nursemaid and that she framed much of who she became.

The adult Ruth senses that if she can learn more about her mother's nursemaid, whom her mother called Precious Auntie, she (Ruth) will better understand the difficulties she has always had with LuLing.

The story should interest readers with a genealogy bent - a woman searching for details about her family's past, and for answers that might come out of her family's past.

Do you remember a look your mother gave you when you deeply disappointed her?

The young LuLing goes after the one thing her mother hates more than anything, and that action quickly sets off a chain reaction of family disasters.

The world of 1920s China that Tan portrays was immensely different from 1920s America.

Threats of bad luck by members of other families had the power to control behavior.

That sounds like a chaotic existence, and I imagine that it was.

Tan's humor had me laughing out loud.

This is no doubt politically incorrect of me, but I laughed so hard at the combination of LuLing's broken English and her mean sentiments.

"... as her mother had pointed out, Dottie had big teeth. Her mother had demonstrated to Ruth by pulling her own lips back with her fingers so that her gums showed on the top and bottom. "Big teeth, show too much inside out, like monkey."

Some of the humor relates to young Ruth's shame at her mother's old-fashioned thinking and Chinese traditions.

But even more arises from Ruth's teenage imaginings of how the adult world works.

Then the adult Ruth has a cringeworthy moment, too.

What is the worst social faux pas one can possibly commit?

One of the classics is congratulating a woman on her pregnancy when there is none.

In TBD, Ruth manages to ask a guy she's had coffee with a few times about when he came out. It turns out he is not gay.

I feel that the novel's ending wrapped up a bit too tidily.

In a story beset with family conflict in each generation and at every turn, Tan created unexpected happy endings for five separate issues.

That felt overdone.

This work is truly a captivating trip to the past.

The most momentous events occurred in the vicinity of Beijing around 1910 - 1920.

The book unfolds the epic saga of the Liu family, whose actual surname is Gu.

It reached its zenith of success during the era of Precious Antie's father, a highly regarded bonesetter renowned for his remarkable talents.

The central character of the book is Precious Antie, also known as Gu Liu Xin, a shooting star, yet this revelation comes only in the final lines of the text.

The book chronicles the story of a family that produced Indian inks, which were highly favored by calligraphers.

The plot is masterfully crafted.

The author adheres to the guiding thread of the story of her grandmother, Precious Antie, and her mother, Luling.

This book not only tells the story of the "Peking man," whose bones date back nearly 500,000 years, but also vividly describes the horrors endured by the population during the war with the Japanese.

It is also the tale of Chinese-origin migrants who were compelled to leave their homeland to safeguard their lives.

Precious Antie's story is equally enlightening regarding the struggles of women.

It is both entertaining in its historical narrative and instructive.

Moreover, it is essential to recognize that it is a testimonial book, offering valuable insights into a bygone era.

Audiobook… read by Amy Tan and Joan Chen

Duration: 11 hours and 51 minutes

It has been years since I last read an Amy Tan book. In fact, this is the first time I've listened to one of her works. I was inspired to download the library audiobook after my friend Alli shared with me her love for it. And it truly was a terrific audiobook. I have great memories of meeting Amy Tan on a movie set in San Francisco of all places.

This is an inspiring story that delves into the struggles of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and the cultural differences between those born in China and Chinese Americans born in the US. It features a fascinating family history, including the mother's tragic story in pre-revolution China, as well as the pressures of society's sexual biases, secrets, betrayals, love, loss, hope, and forgiveness.

At times, the story is very funny. Nude yoga, anyone? Other times, it's pretty sad, especially with Ruth's mother's health decline due to Alzheimer's disease. The sadness of her memory loss was so real, as was Ruth's grief and regret from years of anger, resentments, and criticisms towards her mother. However, as Ruth comes to understand her mother's past and gets to know her as the person she was before being a mother, her heart opens, and we see how love and forgiveness begin to unravel organically.

Mom's favorite ice cream flavor was Rum Raisin. Paul and I used to share a pint of it every night when I was nursing our first child. Oh, the "good-old-days" of having babies in the house and enjoying ice cream as after-dinner treats!

There are a million wonderful things I could say about this book. But I think what I most want to leave other people with is that if you really enjoy listening to audiobooks, this was an enriching and enjoyable one. The beginning felt a little slow, but once past that, it becomes a marvelous train ride, and the storytelling comes very much alive. It's intimate and heartfelt in the most humanitarian ways. It's a lovely novel!

Note: I had forgotten how wonderful it is to engage with anything written by Amy Tan. I loved being back in San Francisco, and there's nothing like the "at home" feelings from settings in our home areas. It's an easy 5-star rating!

4 - 4.5 stars. The author Tan has masterfully portrayed the complex cultural and language conflicts that exist between migrant parents and their children. It is truly a remarkable achievement. The way she delves into the minds and hearts of the characters, exploring their struggles and emotions, is both captivating and thought-provoking.

I also found the part of the book set in China from 1915 to 1950 to be extremely enjoyable. It provides a vivid and detailed snapshot of a bygone era, filled with historical events and cultural traditions. The descriptions are so rich and immersive that it feels as if you are actually there, experiencing it all firsthand.

Overall, this is a wonderful book that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in exploring the themes of family, culture, and identity. It is a must-read for fans of literature and those who appreciate a well-written and engaging story.

The Bonesetter's Daughter is a truly remarkable and intricate story that delves deep into the themes of maternal lineage, Chinese culture, and the powerful bonds that hold families together. It is an absolutely captivating and emotionally charged tale that centers around the lives of three generations of a highly respected and renowned bonesetter from a small village in China.

The author possesses an extraordinary talent for crafting a narrative that is both rich in history and brimming with intense emotions. The plot seamlessly weaves through different time periods, starting from the early 20th century and stretching all the way to the present day. The story takes place in various locations, including Peking, Hong Kong, and North America.

This is a story that unfolds at a slower pace, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the lives of the characters. We come to know and understand Ruth, her mother, and Precious Auntie on a profound level. As the story progresses, long-hidden secrets are gradually revealed, and valuable life lessons are learned. It concludes with a beautiful and poignant ending that ties together all the loose ends and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Overall, The Bonesetter's Daughter is a masterpiece that offers a unique and fascinating glimpse into the complex world of Chinese culture and family dynamics. It is a story that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

The Bonesetter's Daughter reminded me of The Joy Luck Club to a great extent. However, I had a stronger preference for The Joy Luck Club. The latter seemed less domestic and Chick-lit compared to The Bonesetter's Daughter. That being said, The Bonesetter's Daughter is an emotional domestic fiction that delves deep into the relationship between a Chinese-American daughter and her Chinese mother.

The book is divided into three parts. Part one is narrated by Ruth Young in the third person, focusing on her American life. She has been in a long-term relationship with Art and lives with him and his two daughters from a previous marriage. Despite not being married, they seem like a typical middle-class American family, with all the common stresses and joys of family life. This part went on for many chapters, and for me, it became a bit tiresome. But considering the popularity of similar books with a similar tone (albeit far worse), like The Paris Wife and The Japanese Lover, I guess it's just a matter of personal taste.

Ruth used to work in corporate communications and then transitioned to freelance editing, which eventually became a full-time job co-writing books for authors in need of help. She works from home, specifically Art's house. Art works at the Center on Deafness at UCSF and is a specialist in body language, which is beneficial in their relationship as Ruth is a perfectionist and a worrier. These traits cause her a lot of stress, especially when dealing with her mother, LuLing, who was born in China and whose first language is Mandarin, while Ruth only speaks English. People around Ruth warn her that they think LuLing is developing some form of dementia, but Ruth ignores them and the increasing evidence from her own interactions with her mother. Eventually, Ruth takes on more and more of her mother's problems and becomes curious about her past.

Part two讲述了 LuLing 在中国的生活。她小时候成长在一个制墨家庭。男人们在北京经营一家商店，而女人们在乡下的家里制作墨水。二战期间日本入侵中国时，生活变得艰难。但在此之前，LuLing 的保姆自杀后，她的生活就发生了翻天覆地的变化。保姆 Precious Auntie 有秘密，其中一个秘密导致她多年前喝下热墨水，毁了她的嘴、下半张脸和舌头。Precious Auntie 的生活还在继续，但她在家里并不受尊重。

LuLing 的生活经历了许多曲折，最终她来到了美国，结婚并生下了 Ruth。

Part three 结束了这个故事，让 LuLing 和 Ruth 的关系更加亲密。Ruth 在阅读了母亲的概要（在翻译后）后，意识到她对母亲生活的理解是多么混乱，她希望自己能早点深入了解家庭的过去。Ruth 一直等到家里的许多长辈去世后，才终于好奇地问问题。发现母亲的过去解决了一些问题，也解开了一个谜团。

我给这本书打三星半。

Lovely

The word "lovely" is such a charming and endearing term. It describes something or someone that has an inherent beauty, charm, and appeal. A lovely flower might have vibrant colors and a sweet fragrance that instantly catches our attention and brings a smile to our face. A lovely child could have a cute and innocent expression, with big bright eyes and a friendly demeanor that makes us want to hug them.

We often use the word "lovely" to express our admiration and appreciation for the things and people that make our lives more beautiful and enjoyable. It can refer to a lovely day with clear blue skies and warm sunshine, a lovely piece of music that touches our hearts, or a lovely meal that satisfies our taste buds.

In conclusion, the word "lovely" is a simple yet powerful way to describe the wonderful and delightful aspects of our world. It reminds us to stop and appreciate the beauty and charm that surrounds us every day.

This is my third Amy Tan book.

I haven't read a novel by her for years, and this book has helped me recall why she is one of my favorite authors.

Amy Tan has a timeless writing style. That's the only way I can describe it. She doesn't write overly poetically or too simply.

Amy Tan writes with a unique style that is perfect in every way. Her Chinese voice and American Chinese voice interchange effortlessly.

This book delves into mother-daughter relations and the complex feelings involved. Ruthie is the daughter many of us can relate to.

Sometimes, our moms don't make sense to us, and at other times, we just fit them into our busy lives while trying to be mothers to our own kids.

I love reading books about historical Chinese culture, such as Snow Flower and The Secret Fan and The Concubine Saga.

This book combines the past and present of the women in one family. From generation to generation, the reader gets to see why things are the way they are in this family.

Why does Ruthie's mom think she's going to be punished?

I like the way Amy Tan makes the sequence of events flow so smoothly in this book. You can see the cause and effect in each chapter.

The only reason I'm deducting a star is that this book didn't hook me like her other book Saving Fish From Drowning. Was I missing something?

I think it was just the slow start in the beginning. It always gets me.

Overall, it's a good read.

2007 Rating: 2 Stars


2016 Rating: I'm extremely glad that this book was chosen for the book club as it had been numerous years since I last read it. I recall that my initial frustration stemmed from the fact that I was far more accustomed to Amy Tan's works which are mainly set in the past. This particular book commences in the present day and remains focused there, even as the past is delved into. Unfortunately, this present-centered approach remains less captivating for me compared to other works by Tan. I don't necessarily have to love or even like the protagonist, but I also don't desire to be annoyed, bored, or simply uncomfortable while spending time with them. Regrettably, that's precisely how I still feel about Ruth. Her present world is desolate and joyless, and reading about it felt rather joyless for me as well. I derived the most enjoyment from the flashback to her mother's story, but even then... there was a profound strand of sadness that seemed intense even when considered within the context of a long tradition of somewhat depressing Chinese stories and Tan's own body of work. Overall, this book contains a plethora of interesting elements and details, is well-written and paced, yet ultimately it just doesn't result in an enjoyable reading experience for me.