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“To think weapons lovely means to delight in them, and to delight in them means to delight in the slaughter of men. And he who delights in the slaughter of men will never obtain what he looks for from those that dwell under heaven.”
― A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China
― A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China
“Buddha needs a coat of gold, Man is dignified by the proper clothes.”
― A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China
― A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China
“I think it is a poetic symbol. Like the bamboo, we are a people who will bend but will not break. We are resilient. We have a natural thirst for life and family; that is what brings us peace.”
― A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China
― A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China
“5.0 out of 5 starsA great story! Enjoy reading it!
By JMF on March 14, 2013
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I enjoyed very much reading this book. I could not put this interesting family saga down! Amy Kwei's imagination brilliantly makes the characters come to life. She calls it a novel, yet it is obviously the story of her family. I learned much that I did not know about Chinese culture and tradition as well as life in the 1930s to the beginning of World War II. The facts were well researched. This is a most moving account of the tragic binding of women's feet and its consequences on one woman - the grandmother. I never understood why a country so highly
civilized and refined in art and poetry could afflict such cruelty on the women in its upper class. How the grandmother as a child yearned to have fun running around with her brother, but was prevented to do so by her crippled feet.
The description of the war and hardshiops of the Japanese occupation is vividly narrated and the upheaval war brought upon China. Yet the humanity of some Japanese-Americans is also
beautifully described. Despite all these tragic happenings, the author keeps a positive and
hopeful attitude.
The novel is full of suspense and I hope the author is already working on a sequel and will not disappoint her readers, who are anxious to know how her family fared in the future.
This book is a treasure!”
―
By JMF on March 14, 2013
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I enjoyed very much reading this book. I could not put this interesting family saga down! Amy Kwei's imagination brilliantly makes the characters come to life. She calls it a novel, yet it is obviously the story of her family. I learned much that I did not know about Chinese culture and tradition as well as life in the 1930s to the beginning of World War II. The facts were well researched. This is a most moving account of the tragic binding of women's feet and its consequences on one woman - the grandmother. I never understood why a country so highly
civilized and refined in art and poetry could afflict such cruelty on the women in its upper class. How the grandmother as a child yearned to have fun running around with her brother, but was prevented to do so by her crippled feet.
The description of the war and hardshiops of the Japanese occupation is vividly narrated and the upheaval war brought upon China. Yet the humanity of some Japanese-Americans is also
beautifully described. Despite all these tragic happenings, the author keeps a positive and
hopeful attitude.
The novel is full of suspense and I hope the author is already working on a sequel and will not disappoint her readers, who are anxious to know how her family fared in the future.
This book is a treasure!”
―
“I do not love the flowers that are about to expire. I fear my dotage mirrors the fading flower. Lush, blooming blossoms fall like a shower. I say to the young buds: let your prime retire.”
― A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China
― A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China
“Language can be a window to the mind and heart of a culture.”
― A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China
― A Concubine for the Family: A Family Saga in China
