But routine
brought acceptance of her fate
Why I read
this book?
I got this book with the
LybraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review. I asked
for the book since I really loved books settled in places I've never been to
visit them in my mind (for now)
What's the
book about?
The book tells us the story Wen
Manying, a woman born in the early 1890's right before the first Sino-Japanese
War in continental China. Through her life, she will be witness of War,
Revolution and Exile while not only she but the China she loved changes.
What
about the main character?
Manying is the younger of
2 kids, with an elder brother. She is very sweet bordering with submissive, but
I believe that given the dates when the book is settled is also part of how a
woman "was supposed to be". She is someone that puts others before
her often, especially when it involves her family. I have to say, it didn't
read to me as a strong character, but mostly, as I said, as a witness that
tells us what she saw but never really took action of her own will.
Final
thoughts
This book had a very beautiful premise...but sadly
for me it didn't deliver. The story has a lack of flow between the different
stages of her life and, albeit normal for telling someone's life, there are a
lot of time jumps that for me felt very abrupt, with no transition some times.
The dialogs in general lacked something; somehow the dialogs seemed unnatural,
fake. I've read other books set in a
similar time period and the dialogs didn't felt this way. On the other hand I certainly
like the cover and the timeline and list of main characters at the end. I was
doing a genealogy tree myself since the lives became a bit intricate, but I
wish I would've noticed before this was already there to help me put. I also have
to say, without giving away any spoilers, I did not see the end twist coming.
Riches
never last more than three generations