About this title: Olivia is 3 years old when she discovers she has a half-sister, Kwan, who lives in China. When Kwan arrives to join the family, she reveals her secret to Olivia--she has visions and communicates with ghosts. Many years later, Kwan tries to encourage Olivia not to give up on her marriage to Simon and convinces them both to travel to China with her. ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Good in good dust jacket. Good, In good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. Previous Owner's Inscription. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Date Published: 04/1996
ISBN-13:9780399141140ISBN:0399141146
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 358 p. read more
"Tan's choice of a not very sympathetic narrator kept me at a distance for part of the story, but in the end I was drawn in despite myself. It was Kwan, the narrator's half-sister, who ultimately fascinated me. (Her stories of the missionaries to China in the nineteenth century and their interactions with Chinese people were brilliant--funny, awful, bizarre.) Of course this is likely what the author intended, but it makes for an unusual reading experience. The surprise ending to the story caught me off guard and gave the whole thing a sadder tone than I expected. But then again, it kept the story from resolving too easily and made the emotional development of the narrator more realistic."
"I wasn't sure where this book was going at first. It was a little slow to get started, but once it did, I really enjoyed it! I'm not typically a fan of first person narrative, and I seem to be reading an awful lot of it lately, for some reason, but Amy Tan pulls it off pretty well.
The contentious bond between Olivia and Kwan is something that many sisters will recognize, although the antagonism typically goes the other way, from OLDER sister to YOUNGER sister. In this case, the glance into Kwan's brain as both protector and student in relation to Olivia is very interesting, as is the look at Chinese culture through Kwan's eyes.
I think I enjoyed the "ghost stories" the most, though, especially some of the direct comments from ghosts to Kwan. Some of them are quite witty and insightful. The climax of the book was strong and well written, but I have a couple of arguments with the very ending. Not knowing how the story of Nunumu and Miss Banner really ended (how they died) really bothered me, and I did not care for Kwan getting lost in the cave. After everything we have been led to believe about this particular universe, it seemed very contrived and improbable: Kwan has guidance from the Yin world. Kwan has been in the cave before. Kwan would never get lost in there. Kwan has unfinished business among the living. It just didn't seem likely.
All in all, though, a solid, enjoyable read. I'll definitely be looking up more Amy Tan."
"Love this book. Great read if you have a sister. Just couldn't put it down. Read it while traveling through Germany, France, Switzerland. What a weird cultural fusion, the story and the characters of this Chinese/American family made with Europe, filtered through my American head. Tan is so gifted at story telling, so deft with her characterization, yet there's an energy that runs at a steady hum through all her books...is it her chi? It gets you on her same current. I would love to meet her in person someday. She's the best at blending humor and tenderness."
"Olivia, the narrarator, is the daughter of an American mother and a Chinese father. She discovers she has a Chinese half-sister, 18-year-old Kwan. After their father dies, Kwan introduces Olivia to her Chinese heritage through stories and memories. Years later, as a photographer, Olivia goes to China on assignment and takes Kwan along as interpreter. They visit the village where Kwan grew up, and Olivia experiences an epiphany about Kwan's superstitions, spirits and reincarnations. Our departed loved ones are lost only to our ordinary senses; by remembering we can find them again anytime using our "hundred secret senses.""
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