Rated of 5
by Marcia F. (Batavia, IL) Pearl of China
"Pearl of China" is a beautifully written historical novel about the loyal friendship between two girls cultures apart. The first girl is Willow a peasant who is telling the story and the other is her best friend Pearl Buck the daughter of American missionaries. Because Pearl is an American she is forced to leave China and Willow is forced to remain. Pearl is denounce by Madam Mao for writing about China and Willow must find ways to remain loyal to China as well as to Pearl. Possibly, because Ms. Min also had to denounce Pearl Buck while growing up in China, this novel was written as an apology for having to have had to make this denouncement. Whatever, the reason, this is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it to Pearl Buk fans as well as book clubs. This book would lead to a wonderful discussion.
Rated of 5
by Mary Lou F. (Naples, FL) Different cultures make good friends
You can be of a different culture and faith and still be good friends with someone as Pearl and Willow showed. Chinese culture is so different from American culture and it is hard to understand the differences but if you have a friend of either culture, each can understand the other.
Rated of 5
by Krista H. (Grayslake, IL) Pearl fan
I am a huge Pearl Buck fan so was very excited to receive this book. I did enjoy the book, but wasn't blown away by it. The writing wasn't a good as I was hoping for, but I did learn things about Pearl, and China that I found interesting. I have done quite a bit of reading on China in this period, but for someone who hasn't, I believe they would find this book to be very informative. I especially enjoyed that Pearl's missionary family was presented in a positive light. It seems missionaries/Christians are often represented negatively in books. Seeing the impact Pearl's father's mission had on the community he served was enlightening. I would recommend it for book clubs as I think it would generate some good discussions about Chinese culture.
Rated of 5
by Judy K. (Conroe, TX) Mixed Feelings
I was very anxious to read this book as I've long been interested in Pearl Buck. I thought because the author was Chinese and a celebrated author, , I would love it. I didn't. The story was interesting, but the style of writing was not to my liking. In my opinion, it read like an essay written by a high schooler. The facts were all there, but laid out in outline form and seemingly copied from an encyclopedia. It wasn't a novel, full of life, brimming with great dialog with a page-turning pace. It was flat and factual. I could've gone to Wiki and gotten the same. Very disappointing.
Rated of 5
by Karen D. (Dedham, MA) Pearl of China
At first, I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book. To me the writing was stilted, but as I got more into the book, I was to discover how much history was involved. Not having read about Pearl Buck or any of her novels before I will certainly put them on my reading list. The history of the cultural revolution in China and the sufferings of the people certainly put an awareness of Mao and Mrs. Mao. I recommend this book to everyone.
Rated of 5
by Wendy F. (Kalamazoo, MI) Pearl of China
Anchee Min paints a vivid portrait of life in Communist China that is at times breathtaking and at others heartbreaking. The story is told through the eyes of a peasant girl, Willow, who is befriended by the local missionary’s daughter, Pearl S. Buck.
The friendship blossoms and strengthens as the girls grow up. They experience each others lives intimately and share each other’s sorrows. As Pearl’s mother says, life is about being forced to make choices, and each woman learns to make the right choice for their lives as the world seems to fall apart around them.
Pearl utters the timeless words, “I love my country, so much so that I hate her for not being all I want her to be.” Pearl’s country was not the place she was born but rather China, the country in which she came alive. Pearl believes that “all spirits are equal before God” and she communicates this through her writing.
The lyrical tone of this novel opened my heart and mind to want more. A truly memorable read.
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of 5
by Marcia F. (Batavia, IL) 
of 5
by Mary Lou F. (Naples, FL) 
of 5
by Judy K. (Conroe, TX) 
