A Hundred Flowers by Gail Tsukiyama – 288 pages
Advanced Reader Copy courtesy of St. Martin’s Press
Book Blurb:
China, 1957. Chairman Mao has declared a new openness in society: βLet a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend.β Many intellectuals fear it is only a trick, and Kai Y ingβs husband, Sheng, a teacher, has promised not to jeopardize their safety or that of their young son, T ao. But one July morning, just before his sixth birthday, Tao watches helplessly as Sheng is dragged away for writing a letter criticizing the Communist Party and sent to a labor camp for βreeducation.β
A year later, still missing his father desperately, Tao climbs to the top of the hundred-year-old kapok tree in front of their home, wanting to see the mountain peaks in the distance. But Tao slips and tumbles thirty feet to the courtyard below, badly breaking his leg.
As Kai Ying struggles to hold her small family together in the face of this shattering reminder of her husbandβs absence, other members of the household must face their own guilty secrets and strive to find peace in a world where the old sense of order is falling.
My Review: 3.5 stars
Gail Tsukiyama is one of my favorite authors. She is able to go deep inside her characters and express them so well. I find her writing tranquil and peaceful even if there is unrest going on in the story. I loved the protagonist Kai Ying who is holding her life in balance while her husband is away for a letter he supposedly wrote. She is a strong mother, wife, daughter-in-law and friend and this novel delves into all those relationships and interrelationships amongst the characters. Although interesting, I would have liked to know more about the two other women who come to live in the villa, especially Suyin.
Quotes I liked:
It takes the same amount of energy to worry about the worst thing that can happen as it does to hope for the best. Itβs up to you to choose.β
– βHistory is a series of stories pieced together, he once told Tao. And art is a living record of it.β- βHave you heard the saying, βThe wise adapt themselves the circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcherβ? It seems Iβve been the pitcher most of my life. Iβve forgotten how to be the fluid.β
– βSometime the best lessons are in the journey, regardless of the outcome.β
Review:The Measure by Nikki Erlick was a book I waited far too long to read. I just couldnβt stomach the idea that everyone in the world would find out their relative life span. The whole idea of this scared me but when my book club chose to read it, I dug in with enthusiasm.Iβm so glad I did. This book is more about life and how we live it, rather than about dying. Itβs told by a cast of eight characters who are deeply affected by the strings they received. The length of the string parallels the length of your life. All the characters are struggling with their results because even if he or she gets a long string, there will still be people they know will be gone soon.How the world at large handles the strings was so well done. People are switching boxes hoping it could change their destiny. Support groups are offered. Protests occur. The world is in a very different place. Much of this book made me think about the differences between fate and destiny. This story offers many intertwined connections between the characters that makes for a powerful and meaningful ending. Iβm so looking forward to whatβs next from this author. @nikkierlick @williammorrowbooks William Morrow π Would you open a box that told you how long your lifespan is?#themeasure #scifilight#bookreader #bookclubpick #goodbookfairy... See MoreSee Less
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