The story takes place in 1830's China, and revolves around three young women who are determined to never marry. The girls all join a girl's house, in which the members bond in their misery and anxiety of their upcoming expected marriages. The girls commiserate and together learn mourning songs, which they sing for each other and themselves on their wedding days.The only way for a young Chinese woman to avoid the fate of a pre arranged loveless marraige, is to become a nun. Not wanting to enter into life in a convent, the girls come up with another way to dodge their fate. They pledge a life of spinsterhood, causing them to become outcasted by their families and by society as a whole.The novel details their triumphs and struggles, sucking you in and making you root for the success of these three girls.An easy read, and a good one. Recommended to anyone wanting to get lost in the lives of others, those liking to read fictious accounts of other cultures, and those with a fondness for China.
A story of young girls as they choose to fight the standards of society and make vows of spinsterhood rather than marry in rural China in the 1930's. I'd probably just give this book 3 1/2 stars, but it was a good, easy to read, historical fiction book. I found the writing not necessarily beautiful or rich and the changing points of views were sometimes confusing, but I was able to read it quickly and it captured my attention. Overall the historical part was educational and it gave me a lot of reasons to be thankful that I was born in America and given the power of choice when it comes to marriage. Glad I read it!
Do You like book The Moon Pearl (Bluestreak) (2001)?
A good story, well told, with interesting characters and historical details. The book provides an intriguing look at marriage practices and the plight of women in 19th century China (and an unfortunate reminder that circumstances aren't much better for women in many parts of the world today.) At times the author's modern sensitivities seemed to interfere somewhat (e.g., the main characters sometimes seemed a little more self-aware and liberated than they likey would have been in that era) but overall a well-researched story and a worthwhile read.
—Megan
Why is it that all the novels I've read about historical chinese culture have such awful tales to tell? Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was like that and the collected tales in Amy Tan's the Joy Luck Club had some shockers too. Were the chinese really that barbaric?
—Kayleen
