Peony is a tale of Jewish integration in China in the 1800s while also being a portrait of family, class and gender relationships. There is great beauty in Pearl Buck's descriptions of China in that period, from the courts in the homes to the experience of traveling to the capital and what the characters experienced there. The book is not as breezy as most current novels, which made it slower going for one of our group, but I found the story very well crafted.

Pearl S. Buck has earned her reputation as a major author. Her characters are drawn with compassion and complexity. Against the background of history, we experience real people living, struggling, surviving in their society. There are no villains and heroes; just like all of us today we are products of our times and cultures. As one of our members pointed out in this discussion, Buck is an antropologist who also happens to be a great novelist.

Most members did not know of the migration of Jewish community into China. Also was a good story of love and it\\\\\\\'s sacrifices