A Hundred Flowers
A Hundred Flowers is a gentle story of a Chinese family in the early years of China under Chairman Mao. When Kai Yang's husband Sheng is shipped off to a labor camp, the family could fall apart, but instead, they quietly learn to support each other with quiet dignity.
I liked the book, especially watching how each member of the family was affected and how each, on their own terms, looked inward and grew stronger before they could come back together as a family.
Rated of 5
by Amy L. (Tucson, AZ)
Another Gentle Winner
Gail Tsukiyama is an author I greatly admired. Her "Samurai's Garden" is one of my favorite books, for its exquisite prose, dignity, nobility and simplicity. "A Hundred Flowers" is marked by the same simplicity, nobility and dignity. Set during Mao's cultural revolution, it shows us the impact of the revolution from the multiple viewpoints of family members. Each narrator (boy, mother, grandfather and aunt/family friend) provides a unique view of the same events while revealing deeply personal information. It is a moving affirmation of life during a difficult period in Chinese history.
Rated of 5
by Judith S. (Santa Clarita, California)
Resilience and stubbornness to survive
“She marveled at nature's resiliency, its sheer stubbornness to survive.”
Those are the thoughts of Auntie Song, one of the characters in Gail Tsukiyama’s newest book. It is the story of an extended family told from five different perspectives through a year of many changes. Some of the challenges they face are common to many lives; a child’s accident, grief at the death of a spouse, the birth of a child. Other concerns are unique to the cataclysmic social changes of Mao Tse-Tung’s regime. The family consists of Kai Ying, the mother of Tao, her elderly father-in law, Wei, and Auntie Song, a courtesy aunt who occupies a portion of their family home. As the year progresses a pregnant , homeless teenager joins the family. Much of the family’s unique distress is due to its absent member. Sheng, the husband, the father, the beloved son, has been arrested and sent to a distant reeducation camp.
I liked all of these characters. They are very human in their strengths and weaknesses. Kai Ying has admirable sensitivity to her patients as she prepares her herbal remedies and Auntie Song’s optimism and strong survival instincts are inspiring. The book is somewhat slow and occasionally disjointed as the storytelling shifts from one person to another, but the overall picture of this family was very satisfying. They have nature’s resiliency and a sheer stubbornness to survive.
Rated of 5
by Beth M. (Scarsdale, NY)
Tsukiyama-lite
I have loved Gail Tsukiyama's books, especially Samurai's Garden. This one was enjoyable and a quick read but it was definitely not her best. The story takes place during 5 months of China's Cultural Revolution when the father of an ordinary family is taken away for voicing his opinion. The story is told from the perspective of different family members although their voices all have the same tone. Through these characters we learn what happened and how secrets and misunderstandings have been harbored. The most compelling voice is that of a 15 year old homeless, pregnant girl who becomes connected to the family. It is an easy novel to read and the author does bring all the story lines to a purposeful resolution. Having said that, I was left feeling like the depth of the story was missing. It felt more like a Young Adult novel.
Rated of 5
by Judith B. (Omaha, Nebraska)
Fails to Deliver
Having enjoyed "Women of the Silk" and being a frequent traveler to China, I was eager to read Tsukiyama's latest. However, the two-dimensional characters failed to engage me, and I really didn't care about the outcome. The book did fulfill my expectations in portraying how devastating the late 1950s were for the people of China. The flow of the plot was awkward due to the short chapters and constant switching of character focus. Fortunately each chapter was designated with the character's name. At times I felt as if I were reading a journalistic account rather than a novel. The book should appeal to readers who enjoy an overview of modern China. It is an appropriate choice for book group discussions as there are many insightful comments about life in China.
Rated of 5
by Beth (USA)
A Hundred Flowers
I selected this book because friends have been telling me for quite some time to try one of Gail Tsukiyama’s books. As a result, I went into this one with very high expectations and I am afraid that I was disappointed. I simply could not connect at all with any of the characters, and the book moved at an excruciatingly slow place. I have no problem with books where the action is limited, and the work is essentially a character study. Here, though, because the characters felt so remote, I was left with a book where nothing really happened, and I had no feeling for the people who were ruminating on their lives. I think perhaps I was expecting a book more along the lines of those written by Lisa See, and A Hundred Flowers was not in that vein. I don’t mean to imply at all that this is a bad book -- it is very well written in fact. It just was not for me. I will be curious to see if this book is an anomaly, or if those who love her other books love this one as well.
Rated of 5
by Linda W. (Walnut Creek, CA)
A Hundred Flowers
The first word that comes to mind is quiet. The story centers around a family coming to terms with the new reality that is Communist China under Mao. At the heart of the story is a family. Three generations of the Lee family live in what used to be the family's villa. Sheng is the husband of Kay Ying, father of Tao and son of Wei. He has been arrested and sent off for reeducation because of a letter sent to Chairman Mao critical of the regime. Dealing with the effects of this arrest, is the plot that drives this story.
While all of the characters are appealing, I would not recommend this title for a book club choice because I don't see much to discuss.
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of 5
by Patricia K. (Oak Park, California)
of 5
by Beth M. (Scarsdale, NY)
