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librarygirlreads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
wigglewaffle's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mary_silva_21's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, and it did remind me of Homecoming by YaYaa Gyasi with less action and more characters. The plot is not particularly complicated. In fact, I would say this is not a plot heavy book at all, though I was curious to see what would become of the three present day sisters. We meet them individually in the past and present as they navigate growing up struggling with Vietnamese parents. I felt their pain of not belonging to either culture and it was tough to read how the Vietnamese in American didn’t accept these first-generation young people because they didn’t speak the language and were raised to be American. I was disappointed, however, that we didn’t circle back to the current day and sad that the book ended in the past.
The characters are wonderful – three very different sisters who were raised under their zodiac signs. Each wonder how much of who she is was because of expectations. We also get to know their mother, Xuan and learn about how she came to the US and again, how painful learning to fit in here was. The book continues back with the story of her mother, Tien, and then her mother, Quynh. All strong women and we can see shades of inheritance. Quynh is a goat like Trac, for example.
We also get a delightful history lesson on Vietnam from each of these women. Within a few generations this family line goes from buying their land from the French and trying to fit in with that culture to a child in an American classroom who knows nothing about her ancestry or its country. The men in this book are really in the background and none of these women relies on one.
The writing is smooth and some of the scenes are described in such a compelling way that had me almost in tears for the young Xuan trying to fit in. We are taken from New Orleans to Saigon and the lack of communication and dysfunctional family was heartbreaking but so understandable.
This is an incredible debut. Despite the repetition of the lessons on the zodiac and the uneven handling/space given to each character, I thoroughly appreciate it as an excellent story of survival. Maybe one main character would have given the book a stronger anchor for this reader. When Quynh’s mother was introduced, for example, I almost stopped reading! I had just met Quynh and felt like I didn’t get enough time with Tien.
The moral I take away is that it is important to share our history and our language with our youth. We all need to belong to some tradition even if we hate it as we mature. All the three daughters really got was the zodiac. The author’s note is very telling on this point, and I understand her point of view.
Thanks to the author, Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press for the advance copy.
The characters are wonderful – three very different sisters who were raised under their zodiac signs. Each wonder how much of who she is was because of expectations. We also get to know their mother, Xuan and learn about how she came to the US and again, how painful learning to fit in here was. The book continues back with the story of her mother, Tien, and then her mother, Quynh. All strong women and we can see shades of inheritance. Quynh is a goat like Trac, for example.
We also get a delightful history lesson on Vietnam from each of these women. Within a few generations this family line goes from buying their land from the French and trying to fit in with that culture to a child in an American classroom who knows nothing about her ancestry or its country. The men in this book are really in the background and none of these women relies on one.
The writing is smooth and some of the scenes are described in such a compelling way that had me almost in tears for the young Xuan trying to fit in. We are taken from New Orleans to Saigon and the lack of communication and dysfunctional family was heartbreaking but so understandable.
This is an incredible debut. Despite the repetition of the lessons on the zodiac and the uneven handling/space given to each character, I thoroughly appreciate it as an excellent story of survival. Maybe one main character would have given the book a stronger anchor for this reader. When Quynh’s mother was introduced, for example, I almost stopped reading! I had just met Quynh and felt like I didn’t get enough time with Tien.
The moral I take away is that it is important to share our history and our language with our youth. We all need to belong to some tradition even if we hate it as we mature. All the three daughters really got was the zodiac. The author’s note is very telling on this point, and I understand her point of view.
Thanks to the author, Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press for the advance copy.
soulkissed2003's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
2.0
mad41's review
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hopeglow's review
4.0
4.25
Spoiler
the choice to write the timeline of the story the way the author did was so unique and deliberate (i love that choice but it also left me wanting/wishing we could revisit the characters we started out with too)sonder's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Would benefit from some more resolution; part ii feels in some ways too separate from part i
justmegger's review
2.0
Took a bit longer to get through this one cause I had some travel in the middle of the book. Really wanted to like this one and while I did finish it, I would say the first half is much stronger than the 2nd and I kept kind of waiting for it to pick back up again and it just never did.
edubs87's review
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jitzie's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5