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Night of Many Dreams
Night of Many Dreams is the bestselling novel from Gail Tsukiyama that tells the tale of two sisters separated by ambition, bound by tradition
As World War II threatens their comfortable life in Hong Kong, young Joan and Emma Lew escape with their family to spend the war years in Macao. When they return home, Emma develops a deep interest in travel and sets her sights on an artistic life in San Francisco, while Joan turns to movies and thoughts of romance to escape the pressures of her real life.
As the girls become women, each follows a path different from what her family expects. But through periods of great happiness and sorrow, the sisters learn that their complicated ties to each other--and to the other members of their close-knit family―are a source of strength as they pursue their separate dreams.
As World War II threatens their comfortable life in Hong Kong, young Joan and Emma Lew escape with their family to spend the war years in Macao. When they return home, Emma develops a deep interest in travel and sets her sights on an artistic life in San Francisco, while Joan turns to movies and thoughts of romance to escape the pressures of her real life.
As the girls become women, each follows a path different from what her family expects. But through periods of great happiness and sorrow, the sisters learn that their complicated ties to each other--and to the other members of their close-knit family―are a source of strength as they pursue their separate dreams.
275 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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About the author
Gail Tsukiyama
16books1,419followersBorn to a Chinese mother and a Japanese father in San Francisco, Gail Tsukiyama now lives in El Cerrito, California. Her novels include Women of the Silk (1991), The Samurai's Garden (1995), Night of Many Dreams (1998), The Language of Threads (1999), Dreaming Water (2002), and The Street of a Thousand Blossoms (2007).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
September 6, 2020
I missed the lyricism & immersion into a time & place of Tsukiyama's stronger works. This was an enjoyable, solid story about family, the lives of two sisters and choices we make. The kernel of so many stories. Technically this is historical fiction moving from the 1930's through the mid 60's, & primarily in Hong Kong, but for me it could have been set in any time in the 20th century & in any place. There are multiple narrators- the two sisters & their Auntie Go, sometimes moving the story chronologically and at others seeing the same events through another's perspective.
January 17, 2015
I'm usually a fan of Gail Tsukiyama's writing, but this was rather disappointing. From the various perspectives to the weird chronology and multiple flashbacks, I simply could not get into it. Because the story took place over such a long period of time, it felt rushed. It got more interesting towards the end, but this book was definitely hard to get through. It took me a long time to finish because I kept stopping putting it down, which hardly ever happens, so it was pretty bad.
October 7, 2012
Night of Many Dreams was a little slow at first but the historical setting of Hong Kong in the early 1940′s kept me reading and I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed it. Constant shifts in point of view by an omniscient narrator, sometimes even jumping a bit back in time from the last character’s perspective, might be challenging for some. I didn’t find it disruptive, just different from your traditional linear story. Night of Many Dreams probably wouldn’t hold a lot of appeal to anyone looking for a lot of action or mystery but as a lover of historical fiction I thought it was a great blend of history and strong characters. I think the quote on the back cover from the San Francisco Chronicle captures it best, ”Tsukiyama tells a quietly powerful and understated story of women finding their way in the world, and the strength they derive from family ties.�
March 3, 2018
This is a book about Family.
Of the two sisters, I ended up liking Joan more. I really didn't understand Emma's motivations towards the end, and I really didn't understand how she couldn't have found time to travel and see her family. For fifteen years.
When everything was said and done, it was the Family that stood by her during her darkest moments.
Now to Tsukiyama's writing. I actually enjoyed her style, and except for a section by Auntie Go where we had to relive a few years after living them through Emma's and Joan's POVs, I actually thought the story flowed smoothly. From the reviews I read, I gathered that this novel is mediocre compared to her other books, and I am very much tempted to read more of Tsukiyama's work.
Of the two sisters, I ended up liking Joan more. I really didn't understand Emma's motivations towards the end, and I really didn't understand how she couldn't have found time to travel and see her family. For fifteen years.
When everything was said and done, it was the Family that stood by her during her darkest moments.
Now to Tsukiyama's writing. I actually enjoyed her style, and except for a section by Auntie Go where we had to relive a few years after living them through Emma's and Joan's POVs, I actually thought the story flowed smoothly. From the reviews I read, I gathered that this novel is mediocre compared to her other books, and I am very much tempted to read more of Tsukiyama's work.
March 26, 2015
I love Gail Tsukiyama and have read 3 other books of hers; The Samurai's Garden being one of my all-time favorite books. Night of Many Dreams fell short of my expectations of her writing and yet I did enjoy the read. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could.
The first half of the book moved well with the tale of a family in Hong Kong during WWII and the Japanese occupation. Gail has a way of making you see into the thoughts of her characters and be a part of their lives for a while. As time progressed and Hong Kong was returning to a new normal after the war, the story seemed to go flat. I found there was a depth missing that I normally love in Gail's writing. I did love how the strength of all the women in the Lew family shown forth. There was the determined strength for life to continue on in the status of Kum Ling who wanted to arrange a prosperous life in Hong Kong for her daughters while the independent influence of strength from Auntie Go also had pull for both Joan and Emma. Joan and Emma both find a life for themselves which is very different than Mah-mee wanted.
This book made me think as I myself am an immigrant. Emma went out into the world but found her solace again by returning to home when her life ground to a half after a loss of great importance. How would I react in the same situation? Something I hope not to find out for a great number of years to come!
The first half of the book moved well with the tale of a family in Hong Kong during WWII and the Japanese occupation. Gail has a way of making you see into the thoughts of her characters and be a part of their lives for a while. As time progressed and Hong Kong was returning to a new normal after the war, the story seemed to go flat. I found there was a depth missing that I normally love in Gail's writing. I did love how the strength of all the women in the Lew family shown forth. There was the determined strength for life to continue on in the status of Kum Ling who wanted to arrange a prosperous life in Hong Kong for her daughters while the independent influence of strength from Auntie Go also had pull for both Joan and Emma. Joan and Emma both find a life for themselves which is very different than Mah-mee wanted.
This book made me think as I myself am an immigrant. Emma went out into the world but found her solace again by returning to home when her life ground to a half after a loss of great importance. How would I react in the same situation? Something I hope not to find out for a great number of years to come!
September 27, 2009
This book was disappointing for me. Altho dealing with an interesting subject, the author only gave me a dispassionate telling of pretty regular lives. I didn't feel close to any of the characters, and life-changing events just came and went w/very little passion or discussion. I probably won't remember this tale for very long. It's a shame, because I really liked "Women of the Silk."
February 28, 2016
2.5 stars. This was likeable enough. A little too light and simplistic for my tastes. I did like the alternating stories, the idea of the two sisters growing up in Hong Kong from the 1940s to 1960s, trying to find their own ways while still respecting their mother's traditionalism.
This is my fifth book by Tsukiyama, and definitely not my favorite.
This is my fifth book by Tsukiyama, and definitely not my favorite.
July 28, 2019
Not my favourite of Tsukiyama's books. The book was a little slow to start and it took awhile to feel invested in the characters. That being said this is a wonderful story about family and the strength of the women in it.
April 28, 2010
Enchanting story warmly told.
July 27, 2019
I quite enjoyed this short novel. While not a particularly dynamic plot, I felt the description of the novel as 'a moving, memorable story of women's experiences in Chinese culture' was very appropriate. There were components to the plot that I felt could have used some further development, particularly towards the end of the novel when it felt the author hit fast forward, but overwell easy and pleasing.
February 5, 2024
I would give this one a 3.5 but rounded up because it was a beautifully written book. However, this one was not as compelling as most of Tsukiyama's books and started off a little slow, in my opinion. The book didn't have a very strong plot, but it did offer an insightful look at the inner workings of women's relationships with one another and their dreams and desires. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
September 14, 2020
I've enjoyed others by Gail Tsukiyama more than this one, but was glad to gain better understandings of Hong Kong's history and a family there.... a family that seemed likely to be realistic to the time.
February 5, 2022
What a wonderful book! I loved the sisters, the cousins, the stories of their lives. I enjoyed how the stories were interwoven, and we see a glimpses of their pasts, how they handle disappointments and successes. Great book!
November 26, 2018
Beautiful!! I was hoping that I wouldn’t be disappointed since I loved the first book of hers that I discovered (the Samurai’s Garden). I wasn’t!! I am already anxious to read another of hers.
March 1, 2017
3.5 stars - This is the second book by Tsukiyama that I've read and I have enjoyed both. Night of Many Dreams is a story of two sisters, Emma and Joan who are growing up in China. They have different wishes for their lives and must also deal with their mother's wishes for them. They're very close with their Aunt Go too. The story begins when they're young children and follows them as they become adult women and begin their own lives. It alternates perspectives between Emma, Joan, and occasionally Go. I enjoyed the book and thought it was a fairly quick (although thorough), but good read.
January 8, 2009
This story follows a family; two sisters, their mother, their aunt and their cook through 25 years of their lives. A tale of love, losses and change.
I fell in ... admiration... of Gail Tsukiyama's books when I first read Women of the Silk. From there I picked up a book here and there; usually when I noticed them on the shelves at the bookstore or at Costco. I never went out of my way to hunt them down.
Her books are not rip-roaring thrillers or slash 'em up horrors or even remotely fantasy related, but I still tend to enjoy reading them. I suppose that it is simply in the way she writes little snippets of the lives of (semi) ordinary people without a lot of fuss or bother that is a good change from my usual fare.
I suppose that it is the simplicity of her tales that I enjoy and the flow of the writing... they aren't /hard/ books to read and they tend to leave me either a tad teary eye'd or with a smile at the end, so I can't really complain too much.
I fell in ... admiration... of Gail Tsukiyama's books when I first read Women of the Silk. From there I picked up a book here and there; usually when I noticed them on the shelves at the bookstore or at Costco. I never went out of my way to hunt them down.
Her books are not rip-roaring thrillers or slash 'em up horrors or even remotely fantasy related, but I still tend to enjoy reading them. I suppose that it is simply in the way she writes little snippets of the lives of (semi) ordinary people without a lot of fuss or bother that is a good change from my usual fare.
I suppose that it is the simplicity of her tales that I enjoy and the flow of the writing... they aren't /hard/ books to read and they tend to leave me either a tad teary eye'd or with a smile at the end, so I can't really complain too much.
March 15, 2009
My friend Marjorie just LOVES Gail Tsukiyama, so she chose this book for book club. I liked it. The characters are growing up in WWII China (and each chapter flips between 3 main characters: 2 sisters and their single aunt) and the focus is the relationships between the sisters, their mother (whose sole goal is to get them married off) and their aunt, who owns her own knitting factory. The writing is light and lovely, but I wasn't that connected to the characters...it seemed like they didn't have big emotional trajectories. I realized that I'm more used to an American way of communicating--lots of big moments, lots of emotions. Tsukiyama's style is much more quiet, less showy, more reserved. I should have judged it on those merits more than my own. I think I'll pick up one more at some point (probably Women of the Silk or The Samurai's Garden) and see if she's an author I can connect with.
July 8, 2014
And I picked up Gail Tsukiyama's Night of Many Dreams somewhere in the last month or two. I enjoyed three of her other novels and it is a light read in the vein of Lisa See's books. This one follows two sisters in Hong Kong growing up during and after WWII. I enjoyed the place portrayals of Hong Kong, Macao, San Francisco. It was an easy, upbeat read which felt realistic enough to the time period and culture and did not devolve into major plot drama. The story was more interested in the two sisters, who they were, and how they would grow and develop after WWII. It felt like one of Tsukiyama's earlier novels, not that the quality was down or the history badly done. It felt like she was just exploring two characters without fully knowing what would happen in the end. The end was when she felt closure for them.
October 17, 2011
I am just on a roll here reading all the books on themes that I love. Here is another exploration of the relationship that binds families - set again in Hong Kong juxtaposed with North America. The book was finished in a day - the author's style is easy to read, very clear and uncomplicated. Perhaps the story lacked stronger emotion and could have been a little more detailed. However, I felt that it accomplished its goals and it clearly gave us insight into this the lives of Joan and Emma. It did seem to skip through time and perhaps it did not give enough attention to key points in the life of this family. This is my first book by this author - I am likely to keep an eye out for her other novels and to see how it all compares to this one.
July 20, 2017
I had high hopes for this book seeing all the positive reviews from major newspapers. It felt like a reporting of a series of events and had no depth to the story or the characters. The characters were flat as carboard. For example, Mah-mee was a nagging mom, beautiful even when she aged, and always unhappy with her daughter's life choices. There isn't anything more to Mah-mee even though her character had potential for a lot of depth. When the story drags, the author picks it up by throwing in some drama. Some parts look like they have been poorly edited. After Emma graduates from university and moving on with her life, a section goes back to when she was still in school. Overall a waste of my time.
January 26, 2017
Mijn derde boek van Tsukiyama en ik geraak meer en meer betoverd door haar verhalen, schrijfstijl, manier waarop ze personages uitwerkt.
In dit boek volgen we twee zussen in China, in de periode tussen 1940 en 1965. De oorlog speelt een rol, maar ook de modernisering van omgangsvormen, een stuk feminisme, enz. Heel, heel erg mooi.
En omdat ik merk dat de boeken van Tsukiyama niet meer gedrukt worden, heb ik via Bol tweedehands nog drie boeken van haar besteld. Voor mij zijn haar boeken must haves.
In dit boek volgen we twee zussen in China, in de periode tussen 1940 en 1965. De oorlog speelt een rol, maar ook de modernisering van omgangsvormen, een stuk feminisme, enz. Heel, heel erg mooi.
En omdat ik merk dat de boeken van Tsukiyama niet meer gedrukt worden, heb ik via Bol tweedehands nog drie boeken van haar besteld. Voor mij zijn haar boeken must haves.
January 11, 2016
I loved this story. Gail Tsukiyama remains one of my favorites! Not wanting to give any spoilers let me just say this is a story about a family who survive dynamic change in their country and grow on separate paths as individuals while remaining at their very core loving toward each other. While I'm doubtful this exists anymore in reality it's nice to still keep the dream alive
February 2, 2011
Reading this book was like watching a movie directed by Anh Hung Tran. This book flows softly from word to word, chapter to chapter. A warm journey into the lives of Emma and Joan and their Baba and Mah-mee. And of course Aunti Go. Like an Anh Hung Tran movie it is slow sensual and emotional.
December 9, 2012
Solid storytelling and an interesting look into wartime and post- WW2 Hong Kong. I think I 've just read too many stories set in Hong Kong and this one didn't sing for me.
February 16, 2023
This is a story of family, particularly of the women in the family, their strength, their differences, and the ties that bind. It begins in Hong Kong in 1940 and spans two-and a half decades. The main event in the story is the change the Japanese invasion brought to Hong Kong, and thus to the family, during WWII. The comfortable, upper-class life in Hong Kong was brought to an abrupt end with the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Tsukiyama paints a realistic picture of the severe food rationing that was imposed, the attempts the occupying Japanese made to stamp out Chinese culture and substitute their own, and the cruelty of many of the Japanese soldiers. Many of the families fled to Macau, including this one, where they lived in reduced but safer circumstances until the war was over. They returned to a devastated Hong Kong.
It’s also a coming-of-age story, concentrating on the two daughters: Joan and Emma. Joan is movie star beautiful and Emma is bookish and intelligent. They are polar opposites but devoted to each other. They have different ambitions and, despite some push back from their parents, are allowed to pursue their own dreams. Their differences are not unlike the differences between their mother, Kum Ling, and their mother’s cousin, Auntie Go. Kum Ling is the other beauty in the family; she’s also traditional, and ambitious for her daughters � ambitious that they make good marriages. We learn about matchmaking in upper class Chinese families. Auntie Go, on the other hand, is ahead of her time, a single, much traveled woman who founded and managed a successful business. There’s another woman who also should be mentioned � their cook, Foon. We learn about good Chinese cooking, with wonderful sensory detail. And we get some social commentary. Although Foon is almost like a member of the family, Joan and Emma are shocked when they realize how very small and how sparsely furnished is the room in which Foon lived in their own household.
There are men in the story, too, but they’re mostly background. A kind father, boyfriends or would-be suitors, mostly cads, and a good husband.
It’s not a great book; the plot and the characters are somewhat formulaic, but it’s competently told and the warmth and strength of family ties and a few other friendships are affirming. Chinese culture on the verge of change and the appeal of Chinese cooking and the pull of the city of Hong Kong are important features of the book. One aspect of Tsukiyama’s writing drove me crazy: it seemed that almost every other page described someone’s perfume or cologne or aftershave. Everyone seemed to have a scent.
I’d never read anything by Tsukiyama before. Evidently she’s written a lot. I picked this up to read on a plane. Tsukiyama’s an easy read, pleasant enough, and I learned a thing or two.
It’s also a coming-of-age story, concentrating on the two daughters: Joan and Emma. Joan is movie star beautiful and Emma is bookish and intelligent. They are polar opposites but devoted to each other. They have different ambitions and, despite some push back from their parents, are allowed to pursue their own dreams. Their differences are not unlike the differences between their mother, Kum Ling, and their mother’s cousin, Auntie Go. Kum Ling is the other beauty in the family; she’s also traditional, and ambitious for her daughters � ambitious that they make good marriages. We learn about matchmaking in upper class Chinese families. Auntie Go, on the other hand, is ahead of her time, a single, much traveled woman who founded and managed a successful business. There’s another woman who also should be mentioned � their cook, Foon. We learn about good Chinese cooking, with wonderful sensory detail. And we get some social commentary. Although Foon is almost like a member of the family, Joan and Emma are shocked when they realize how very small and how sparsely furnished is the room in which Foon lived in their own household.
There are men in the story, too, but they’re mostly background. A kind father, boyfriends or would-be suitors, mostly cads, and a good husband.
It’s not a great book; the plot and the characters are somewhat formulaic, but it’s competently told and the warmth and strength of family ties and a few other friendships are affirming. Chinese culture on the verge of change and the appeal of Chinese cooking and the pull of the city of Hong Kong are important features of the book. One aspect of Tsukiyama’s writing drove me crazy: it seemed that almost every other page described someone’s perfume or cologne or aftershave. Everyone seemed to have a scent.
I’d never read anything by Tsukiyama before. Evidently she’s written a lot. I picked this up to read on a plane. Tsukiyama’s an easy read, pleasant enough, and I learned a thing or two.
March 28, 2022
This is a poignant novel about a Chinese family living in Hong Kong and takes place from 1940 to the mid-60's. Two sisters, Joan and Emma (who's a few years younger), have their whole lives ahead of them and are on the verge of deciding what that life will look like, i.e., what choices will they make.
During the Second World War, however, they decide to leave Hong Kong due to the over-running of the Japanese military into Hong Kong, and they move to Macao in China. It is a wonderful place for them to live, and Emma makes a lifelong friend in Lia, a next door neighbor who befriends the family. They enjoy their stay in such a peaceful and beautiful area.
When the war ends, the have to go back to Hong Kong to rebuild their businesses. Aunt Go has a knitting machine business, and has hoped that Emma or Joan might join her firm. But Joan is more interested in pursuing an acting career in Hong Kong, while Emma is contemplating a trip to San Francisco in order to further her education at college and possibly get a job after that.
What happens to the two sisters is followed closely, as well as how the family stays in touch with each other through phone call and later, visits to each other. As their lives take shape, they both achieve success in their individual pursuits, but as well as success, there is also bad news that affects them. They all need and respect each other, and the family can still enjoy good times together, both in San Francisco and Hong Kong.
Their mother and Aunt Go help them to reach their goals even though they really have their doubts about the achievement of both the sister's goals. When an arranged marriage for Joan falls apart, she as well as they are heartbroken, but nevertheless they help her through various connections to get a start at a film studio with a famous director.
Meanwhile, Emma has gone to San Francisco, her father having seen her off from Tokyo, where his work is, and she takes off on Pan Am.
During the Second World War, however, they decide to leave Hong Kong due to the over-running of the Japanese military into Hong Kong, and they move to Macao in China. It is a wonderful place for them to live, and Emma makes a lifelong friend in Lia, a next door neighbor who befriends the family. They enjoy their stay in such a peaceful and beautiful area.
When the war ends, the have to go back to Hong Kong to rebuild their businesses. Aunt Go has a knitting machine business, and has hoped that Emma or Joan might join her firm. But Joan is more interested in pursuing an acting career in Hong Kong, while Emma is contemplating a trip to San Francisco in order to further her education at college and possibly get a job after that.
What happens to the two sisters is followed closely, as well as how the family stays in touch with each other through phone call and later, visits to each other. As their lives take shape, they both achieve success in their individual pursuits, but as well as success, there is also bad news that affects them. They all need and respect each other, and the family can still enjoy good times together, both in San Francisco and Hong Kong.
Their mother and Aunt Go help them to reach their goals even though they really have their doubts about the achievement of both the sister's goals. When an arranged marriage for Joan falls apart, she as well as they are heartbroken, but nevertheless they help her through various connections to get a start at a film studio with a famous director.
Meanwhile, Emma has gone to San Francisco, her father having seen her off from Tokyo, where his work is, and she takes off on Pan Am.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2024
1998
Kind of nice to read, you get some impression of how *some* people lived in Hong Kong before and after the Japanese occupation.
Definitely an interesting relationship with the mother seeming unable to have much empathy with her daughters, and wanting to control their lives.
p 43: 'Emma often wondered how much her mother really loved her. She remembered waiting for all the approving smiles, the quick brush of Mah-mee's cheek against her lips, the uncertainly of whether Mah-mee's potent smell of Shalimar perfume meant she had just arrived or left the flat. Her mother's affection had always felt like playing hide-and-seek to Emma -- a game she always disliked.'
This description pointing to a mother who sees her daughters as possessions to use to her advantage [and to manipulate] -- this attitude in a mother crops up a lot; what book did I read very recently that had such a mother?: yes, Grossman's book about Tamar. Of course it fits in a whole culture or social structure of children as beings to be used to promote family prosperity and status, so it's not so much an individual trait of the mother but of the whole society.
This excerpt also illustrates the author's somewhat clumsy use of the English language. This is not an author one reads for her linguistic skills.
The author looks inside several characters' lives and feelings, yet seemed seldom to lead anywhere. Yet there are things raised that one could think about.
Seems like the author wanted to tell about lives of perhaps real people she knows/knew [grandmothers, perhaps], and so things happen that don't really fit into the novel, don't have much of a function there. Sort of random events.
I don't know where I picked up this book; I don't think I acquired it intentionally. And I don't think I will read other books of hers.
Kind of nice to read, you get some impression of how *some* people lived in Hong Kong before and after the Japanese occupation.
Definitely an interesting relationship with the mother seeming unable to have much empathy with her daughters, and wanting to control their lives.
p 43: 'Emma often wondered how much her mother really loved her. She remembered waiting for all the approving smiles, the quick brush of Mah-mee's cheek against her lips, the uncertainly of whether Mah-mee's potent smell of Shalimar perfume meant she had just arrived or left the flat. Her mother's affection had always felt like playing hide-and-seek to Emma -- a game she always disliked.'
This description pointing to a mother who sees her daughters as possessions to use to her advantage [and to manipulate] -- this attitude in a mother crops up a lot; what book did I read very recently that had such a mother?: yes, Grossman's book about Tamar. Of course it fits in a whole culture or social structure of children as beings to be used to promote family prosperity and status, so it's not so much an individual trait of the mother but of the whole society.
This excerpt also illustrates the author's somewhat clumsy use of the English language. This is not an author one reads for her linguistic skills.
The author looks inside several characters' lives and feelings, yet seemed seldom to lead anywhere. Yet there are things raised that one could think about.
Seems like the author wanted to tell about lives of perhaps real people she knows/knew [grandmothers, perhaps], and so things happen that don't really fit into the novel, don't have much of a function there. Sort of random events.
I don't know where I picked up this book; I don't think I acquired it intentionally. And I don't think I will read other books of hers.
July 7, 2020
Joan and Emma are growing up in Hong Kong just before the Japanese occupation, at which time they go to live in Macao for a couple of years, to escape the occupation with their parents, their mother’s cousin Auntie Go and their cook Foon.
This book follows mostly the women of the Lew family from the early 1940’s to the mid 1960’s and is told mostly from the alternating perspectives of Joan and Emma, with an occasional perspective from Auntie Go.
Joan dreams of being an actress and Emma is studious and wants to study abroad and eventually leaves to study in San Francisco where she ends up staying for fifteen years, however when a tragedy occurs, the Lew women band together and Emma returns to the family fold.
This was a really lovely book with some great female characters. I particularly adored Auntie Go! I thought it was a beautiful portrayal of women’s experiences in Chinese culture and the strength and comfort of families.
This is the first book I have read by this author, however I have another 2 or 3 on my tbr and all the reviews I have read indicate that this is not her best book. As I very much enjoyed it, it seems I’m in for a real treat with the remaining books I have to read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This book follows mostly the women of the Lew family from the early 1940’s to the mid 1960’s and is told mostly from the alternating perspectives of Joan and Emma, with an occasional perspective from Auntie Go.
Joan dreams of being an actress and Emma is studious and wants to study abroad and eventually leaves to study in San Francisco where she ends up staying for fifteen years, however when a tragedy occurs, the Lew women band together and Emma returns to the family fold.
This was a really lovely book with some great female characters. I particularly adored Auntie Go! I thought it was a beautiful portrayal of women’s experiences in Chinese culture and the strength and comfort of families.
This is the first book I have read by this author, however I have another 2 or 3 on my tbr and all the reviews I have read indicate that this is not her best book. As I very much enjoyed it, it seems I’m in for a real treat with the remaining books I have to read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
December 23, 2023
I just finished listening to this audiobook and I've read a few other reviews - I agree this is a rambling story without much depth. Not sure that I will return to Tsukiyama's works.
The plot felt like a lot of nothing going on. Throughout the story there were several red herrings that ended up leading to nothing; but then I would be completely blindsided by a plot twist that felt totally random. For example, Joan was always having stomach troubles and I kept thinking, she's probably pregnant. But she never was. Then, much later in the book there was a passing moment of reflection about how she had had a pregnancy and a miscarriage. There had been no hint at the time that it took place. It also felt like the story might never end, as if there was just really no point to the whole story other than to tell a rambling story of several sisters' lives across a few decades.
Finally, I think Tsukiyama really missed an opportunity at several points in the storyline to explore existential questions and really dig into philosophical points about sisterhood, relationships, time and place and belonging. It just didn't feel like she capitalized on the chance to make this a deeper and more thoughtful work.
The plot felt like a lot of nothing going on. Throughout the story there were several red herrings that ended up leading to nothing; but then I would be completely blindsided by a plot twist that felt totally random. For example, Joan was always having stomach troubles and I kept thinking, she's probably pregnant. But she never was. Then, much later in the book there was a passing moment of reflection about how she had had a pregnancy and a miscarriage. There had been no hint at the time that it took place. It also felt like the story might never end, as if there was just really no point to the whole story other than to tell a rambling story of several sisters' lives across a few decades.
Finally, I think Tsukiyama really missed an opportunity at several points in the storyline to explore existential questions and really dig into philosophical points about sisterhood, relationships, time and place and belonging. It just didn't feel like she capitalized on the chance to make this a deeper and more thoughtful work.
September 18, 2023
This was a quick and easy read. It is the story of 2 sisters, Joan and Emma who leave Hong Kong with their family due to the threat of WWII. They spend the war years in Macao, a city on China’s coast about 37 miles west of Hong Kong. Joan is beautiful while Emma is bookish and intelligent. Even though they are very different, the sisters are devoted to each other. The same is true for Kum Ling, the mother of the girls, who is a traditionalist and her cousin, Auntie Goo, who is an independent woman who owns her own knitting business. When they return to Hong Kong, Emma develops an interest in travel and art and relocated to SanFrancisco while Joan is interested in acting. However, their mother is a traditionalist who is not happy with their choices although she eventually comes around. The story follows the 2 sisters as they become adult women and begin their lives. The author’s style is easy to read and uncomplicated. Good descriptions of matchmaking efforts and Chinese food.
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