Helpful Score: 3
I really enjoyed it. The two daughter's view of their adoptions was especially thought provoking.
Helpful Score: 2
The story is told from each person's view of how they see their world. With two adopted children, husband, wife, and housekeeper all commenting on the events that happen in this story. It helped me understand and improve my relationship with my mother.
Helpful Score: 2
Although this book has insight into the Chinese mindset or view of American life, there is so much more to it than that. Believable, likeable characters. In most marriages the couple spends more time with one side than the other, this book shakes up everyone's family comfort zone a bit. Add to that the challenges of adoption, as the children get older they question their place in the family, esp. with a biological child thrown into the mix. Family dynamics which surpass ethnic variations.
Helpful Score: 1
A lot different from her previous books ("Typical American" and "Mona and the Promised Land"); I felt this book was a lot sadder in tone. It is written in a strange way, from multiple characters' perspectives, almost sounding like a newscast. The book is rather mellow and the "surprise" at the end isn't really much of a shocker. Jen does do a good job capturing the slow assimilation of LanLan into American culture.
