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mariposa517's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Abandonment
I’kappafrog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The writing style is really beautiful. I highlighted so many different passages. Here are a few favourite quotes:
"I see Banyan House for what it is: a home for women, a shaggy, worn, and vicious protector of the bruised, the tender."
"How love, for all its treachery, finds me in the last, unexpected moments of light."
"And I didn't tell him that none of it had been wasted at all, because I knew he would not see it that way."
Each of the three main characters was so complicated. Ann was the least sympathetic, as she had a coldness towards her mother that was hard to read at times, but her character growth was really great. My favourite of the three was Huong.
Minh's passages were always so interesting, looking back on her long life. With each of these women, you understood why they did the things they did. I wish I had a more eloquent way of describing how rich the relationships in this book are. You can really feel the weight of the atmosphere of the places described in the book too. The heat and humidity of the Florida summer hangs down over everyone like bugs dancing on the water of a swamp. The Banyan House had such personality, and I loved the way that the folk tale about the moon was woven through.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes family sagas. This one feels like it will be talked about for a long time to come, read in classes and book clubs with discussions of all the symbolism, layers of truth, and revelations that come as the story goes on. It was hard to read at times and is very sad, but the three women were so interesting to read about.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, Vomit, Medical content, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Stalking, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic