Loosely woven threads
I really enjoyed the book and thought it was well written and the characters were well developed. It reminded me a lot of an Amy Tan book, as other reviews have mentioned. The relationships between all the women in the book read so much like real life.
I think the book could have been improved by cutting out the rambling thoughts and preachy internal dialogue. It slowed the pace of the book and slowed down my reading. I found myself quickly skimming those sections so that I could get to the real meat of the story.
Overall, I think it was definitely worth reading and I have been suggesting it to my friends.
Rated of 5
by Carole A. (Denver, CO)
The beauty of this book is the journey! A Thread of Sky was well written about three generations of Chinese women and their journey together - and alone. This novel could have been about three generations of women in any family. While part of the same family or a single thread they all have their own journey that has changed them and taken them apart. The beauty of this book is the hanging on to that single thread which is family. Descriptions of China through different eyes was an interesting background. Bravo to Fei - may she continue to write and grow!
Rated of 5
by Anna R. (Oak Ridge, TN)
A bit confusing
I started "A Thread of Sky" looking forward to a great book. However,I found it a bit confusing. It was an okay story but could have been so much better. It seemed disconnected and jumped from character to another. The ending left some hope for the family and a sequel might answer some unanswered questions.
Rated of 5
by Sylvia G. (Scottsdale, AZ)
threads not cloth
This story of 3 generations of American-Chinese women taking a trip to China had great possibilities, but ultimately fell short. Every character is unhappy but I couldn't empathize with any of them, in fact finding some of it rather whiny. We have threads of each story but never a whole cloth and that makes it hard to care too much. It was like a depressing and boring literary version of " Joy Luck Club".
Rated of 5
by Patricia W. (Richmond, VA)
A Thread of Sky
This is a sweeping story of a complicated family on two simultaneous journeys. One journey is back to their roots in China and the other an emotional journey that has each woman in the novel looking at her life. It is a compelling book with universal themes--growing up and coming of age, aging and coming to grips with the past. While enjoying the book, some details were at times overwhelming and superfluous to the story. Tighter editing might have served the book well but all in all it is an enjoyable, multi-generational, multi-cultural read.
Rated of 5
by Jane H. (Indianola, Iowa)
A Thread of Sky
I found it very hard to get interested in A Thread of the Sky. The characters all had emotional problems,carried secrets and could not seem to identify with each other. The one character I felt lived up to my expectations was the grandmother. This is not the China she left. Mao's time has passed, and China was becoming more western- copying the West. She had been a woman who left a legacy behind her. She wished her granddaughters to find legacies for themselves. I enjoyed the families tour through modern China.
Rated of 5
by Jill S. (Eagle, ID)
A Thread of Sky
I was looking forward to this debut novel, but I must admit I struggled with it from the beginning. Although the characters are strong, believable women, their emotional problems and unhappiness over shadowed this book, and I could not identify with any of them. The ending left me empty as well. There are a number of unanswered questions, and perhaps Ms. Fei intends to write a sequel. Overall, this wasn’t a great read, but it wasn’t a ‘poor read’ either. It was just ‘okay’.
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