It took me until page 131 to really get drawn into the characters but once that happened, I was hooked. Although for me his style of writing takes more concentration, I really appreciate how creatively he words his sentences. There is no doubt in my mind what picture he's trying to get across and his prose can be extremely beautiful, even amid the violence that results from war. Very talented writer.

I really wish I had a better understanding of the politics in China between 1945 & 1976 before reading this book. However, despite occasionally tripping over my lack of political knowledge and inability to pronounce Chinese names, I did find this book fascinating. The character study was indeed puzzling, triumphant, and pitiful all at once. The author, Anchee Min, has a beautiful writing style. It flows easily and she has the talent of being able to word a description simply and so fittingly that I would immediately have the picture in my head.

This is one of the best discussion books our club has read and I look forward to also reading the Red Azalea.