This book was not as gripping a page turner as some of the other books we've read. Many in our group (like me) kept putting it down and had trouble picking it up again. It could be a bit deep in parts, but given a chance, had many great pearls of wisdom and insights on love and relationships. It was a fun book to discuss in a book club, and we were all glad we'd read it.

If you're looking for a challenging read...this book is for you. Long and packed with details (although not difficult vocabulary), it can take some time to get through, but it is one of the most educational books I've read in a long time.

At a couple of points I had to put it down for a week or so, because the content was, let's face it, depressing. But once I picked it back up, I became so engrossed I could hardly put it down. I found myself going on Google to look up bits and pieces of history that the author described, in order to learn more. It was so compelling that it seemed almost unbelievable at times, but I learned that her account is probably very accurate.

I highly recommend it for a book club, because there is so much to discuss. Our group realized we knew very little about China and the book really piqued our interest. It also made us extremely grateful to have been raised in the USA.