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Women of the Silk #2
The Language of Threads
Readers of Women of the Silk never forgot the moving, powerful story of Pei, brought to work in the silk house as a girl, grown into a quiet but determined young woman whose life is subject to cruel twists of fate, including the loss of her closest friend, Lin. Now we finally learn what happened to Pei, as she leaves the silk house for Hong Kong in the 1930s, arriving with a young orphan, Ji Shen, in her care. Her first job, in the home of a wealthy family, ends in disgrace, but soon Pei and Ji Shen find a new life in the home of Mrs. Finch, a British ex-patriate who welcomes them as the daughters she never had. Their idyllic life is interrupted, however, by war, and the Japanese occupation. Pei is once again forced to make her own way, struggling to survive and to keep her extended family alive as well. In this story of hardship and survival, Tsukiyama paints a portrait of women fighting the forces of war and time to make a life for themselves.
276 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 1999
108 people are currently reading
10098 people want to read
About the author
Gail Tsukiyama
21 books1,464 followersBorn to a Chinese mother and a Japanese father in San Francisco, Gail Tsukiyama now lives in El Cerrito, California. Her novels include Women of the Silk (1991), The Samurai's Garden (1995), Night of Many Dreams (1998), The Language of Threads (1999), Dreaming Water (2002), and The Street of a Thousand Blossoms (2007).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews
January 8, 2019
This is a sequel of sorts to Women of the Silk which follows the story of Pei. She leaves the silk factory for Hong Kong in the 1920's accompanied by an young orphan Ji-Shen. The story continues through the time of Pei's employment for a dominant, arrogant Chinese family, then a wonderful English woman who supports and befriends Pei. This life is then interrupted with Japanese occupation and Pei is left on her own again.
Pei uses the jewels that Mrs. Finch left to her to start her own shop, with Hong Cho's help and business savy. Her business prospers. Finally Li, her sister, contacts her. Pei is able to bring her sister to Hong Kong and they live their last years together.
There is a very good finish to the story of Pei
I continue to love the duo books of Women of the Silk and The Language of Threads as very quietly beautiful and enlightening historical fiction.
Pei uses the jewels that Mrs. Finch left to her to start her own shop, with Hong Cho's help and business savy. Her business prospers. Finally Li, her sister, contacts her. Pei is able to bring her sister to Hong Kong and they live their last years together.
There is a very good finish to the story of Pei
I continue to love the duo books of Women of the Silk and The Language of Threads as very quietly beautiful and enlightening historical fiction.
May 28, 2019
1938: As Imperial Japanese Army closes on Canton in China, Pei flees to Hong Kong. Where Song Lee is part of a sisterhood, which helps women settle down and find jobs.
With Song Lee’s help, Pei gets a position of “the wash-and-iron amah” for the Chen household. Chen tai, the wife, is busy with social events and her dresses need to be ready for her. Everything is fine until a pearl necklace disappears.
The news of any disgraced household worker spread throughout Hong Kong very quickly. So Pei needs to get her next position as soon as possible. There is one prospect, but Pei doesn’t know how she feels about working for an English woman. At the interview, Pei is frightened when Mrs. Finch pours her a cup of tea as she thinks that’s what she should be doing. As it turns out, everything is uncomplicated for Mrs. Finch. Pei finds her very straight forward.
As happy as Pei is working for Mrs. Finch, the times are getting worrisome with each passing day. Japanese have occupied Indochina. Tensions are running high in the Pacific. It seems that it is just a matter of time, not if Japanese will invade Hong Kong.
Japanese come bombing Hong Kong and announcing, “We have come in friendship to free you from British imperialism.”
Soon after, Mrs. Finch is sent to internment camp at Stanley Beach on the other side of the island.
The severe rice rations imposed by the Japanese, make some people turn to the black market in order to survive. “The Triads is a large organization of secret societies that ran almost all of the black market, supplying the goods for huge profits, while those who worked for them received a small cut. That would leave those not involved with the Triads in a real minority.”
When the occupation ends, there is new hope. Pei hopes to open a small seamstress shop.
Each war claims many lives and the Japanese occupation is no exception. But in sadness, there is also hope. There are some deeply moving and unexpected reunions.
Each character gets beautifully developed, in short poignant stories. And that’s what this author is known for; for bringing touching stories of hardship and survival, unforgettable characters fighting the forces of war and to make a life for themselves.
The story gives a good glimpse of the Japanese conflict. It is not overwhelming in war details.
Highly recommend other books by this author: “The Samurai’s Garden” and “A Hundred Flowers.”
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
With Song Lee’s help, Pei gets a position of “the wash-and-iron amah” for the Chen household. Chen tai, the wife, is busy with social events and her dresses need to be ready for her. Everything is fine until a pearl necklace disappears.
The news of any disgraced household worker spread throughout Hong Kong very quickly. So Pei needs to get her next position as soon as possible. There is one prospect, but Pei doesn’t know how she feels about working for an English woman. At the interview, Pei is frightened when Mrs. Finch pours her a cup of tea as she thinks that’s what she should be doing. As it turns out, everything is uncomplicated for Mrs. Finch. Pei finds her very straight forward.
As happy as Pei is working for Mrs. Finch, the times are getting worrisome with each passing day. Japanese have occupied Indochina. Tensions are running high in the Pacific. It seems that it is just a matter of time, not if Japanese will invade Hong Kong.
Japanese come bombing Hong Kong and announcing, “We have come in friendship to free you from British imperialism.”
Soon after, Mrs. Finch is sent to internment camp at Stanley Beach on the other side of the island.
The severe rice rations imposed by the Japanese, make some people turn to the black market in order to survive. “The Triads is a large organization of secret societies that ran almost all of the black market, supplying the goods for huge profits, while those who worked for them received a small cut. That would leave those not involved with the Triads in a real minority.”
When the occupation ends, there is new hope. Pei hopes to open a small seamstress shop.
Each war claims many lives and the Japanese occupation is no exception. But in sadness, there is also hope. There are some deeply moving and unexpected reunions.
Each character gets beautifully developed, in short poignant stories. And that’s what this author is known for; for bringing touching stories of hardship and survival, unforgettable characters fighting the forces of war and to make a life for themselves.
The story gives a good glimpse of the Japanese conflict. It is not overwhelming in war details.
Highly recommend other books by this author: “The Samurai’s Garden” and “A Hundred Flowers.”
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
January 17, 2009
I liked Women of the Silk much more than The Language of Threads . Maybe it was because I missed the primary relationship and the struggle against a clearly identified power to this book which was more about Pei's struggle to gain independence in a new place while simultaneously caring for an orphan and then survive the onset of war. I was left wanting more depth in how the characters thought about the impending and then current conflict with the Japanese invaders. There was the beginning of some of that thinking with Pei's relationship with her English employer, but then it all got easy quickly and the lack of continuing confusion or conflict surprised me, especially since they were all living together.
It was good to have a next step to Pei's life, especially after the trauma that was in Women of the Silk. I missed the characters from the first book and none of these characters really grew on me in the same way. I guess it's really a lack of bonding over a struggle against a silk factory management that keeps putting the employees down that was missing for me. Oh well.
It was good to have a next step to Pei's life, especially after the trauma that was in Women of the Silk. I missed the characters from the first book and none of these characters really grew on me in the same way. I guess it's really a lack of bonding over a struggle against a silk factory management that keeps putting the employees down that was missing for me. Oh well.
November 13, 2022
4,5*
Wat houd ik van haar heldere schrijfstijl, zonder franjes, maar steeds zo diepmenselijk.
Wat houd ik van haar heldere schrijfstijl, zonder franjes, maar steeds zo diepmenselijk.
July 31, 2009
Read in Germany, July 2009.
Comments:
* enjoyed a lot more than the prequel - the plot was more fluid, the characters (especially Pei) were more realistic and better developed, and the writing was also better (although there was a typo on the back cover!). All signs that Tsukiyama's writing had improved immensley.
* I liked the ending of this book more - it seemed to be rounded up better than in the first book.
* still a lot of sadness - Mrs F. and the orphan girl. I understood that it was realistic for the time and place, but I read books to escape the sad reality of life! And I felt sorry for Pei, who seemed to carry bad luck and death wherever she went! I'm glad that she and Li had a happy ending.
* a few cliches in the book e.g. the pearl necklace, which just seemed to ridiculously obvious to me right from the start.
* again, a lot of historical info. which have me more knowledge of the time period. I would say that you don't have to know much about the period prior to reading this book, and you do learn a lot from it without it being preachy.
* I read it all in one day! Which was a bit of a pity as it was one of the few unread books I still had in Germany, and I still had at least three weeks of my holiday left at the time.
Overall, my favourite of the two Tsukiyama novels but it is probably important to read the prequel first. It is worth it for this novel, which is really gripping and hard to put down. 9/10
Comments:
* enjoyed a lot more than the prequel - the plot was more fluid, the characters (especially Pei) were more realistic and better developed, and the writing was also better (although there was a typo on the back cover!). All signs that Tsukiyama's writing had improved immensley.
* I liked the ending of this book more - it seemed to be rounded up better than in the first book.
* still a lot of sadness - Mrs F. and the orphan girl. I understood that it was realistic for the time and place, but I read books to escape the sad reality of life! And I felt sorry for Pei, who seemed to carry bad luck and death wherever she went! I'm glad that she and Li had a happy ending.
* a few cliches in the book e.g. the pearl necklace, which just seemed to ridiculously obvious to me right from the start.
* again, a lot of historical info. which have me more knowledge of the time period. I would say that you don't have to know much about the period prior to reading this book, and you do learn a lot from it without it being preachy.
* I read it all in one day! Which was a bit of a pity as it was one of the few unread books I still had in Germany, and I still had at least three weeks of my holiday left at the time.
Overall, my favourite of the two Tsukiyama novels but it is probably important to read the prequel first. It is worth it for this novel, which is really gripping and hard to put down. 9/10
February 2, 2019
More than 10 years after I read 'The Women Of Silk,' I finally managed to read the sequel 'The Language Of Threads.' If you haven't read the prequel, then I suggest that you hold off reading this. As always, Tsukiyama's language is simplistically breathtaking. She takes you on a whirlwind tour of colonial Hong Kong, its occupation under the Japanese, and then back to the handover to the British.
With a nuanced descriptive style, I can't but wish that there was another to follow this. Tsukiyama ties up everything in the end, and that made me feel slightly peaceful after all the troubles that Pei goes through. Perhaps, this is why we need fiction - to remind us that perfect endings need not be an illusion?
With a nuanced descriptive style, I can't but wish that there was another to follow this. Tsukiyama ties up everything in the end, and that made me feel slightly peaceful after all the troubles that Pei goes through. Perhaps, this is why we need fiction - to remind us that perfect endings need not be an illusion?
February 3, 2019
This book is a sequel to Women of the Silk. Both books I read to the very last sentence. Both books are highly readable. Both books have fairly interesting characters.
Neither book has that SOMETHING that The Samurai’s Garden has.... where I didn’t want it to end..... where I wanted to follow the characters to see what they did next. Now that’s the book of Tsukiyama’s that needs a sequel.
Neither book has that SOMETHING that The Samurai’s Garden has.... where I didn’t want it to end..... where I wanted to follow the characters to see what they did next. Now that’s the book of Tsukiyama’s that needs a sequel.
February 18, 2021
Originally published on my book blog, TheBibliophage.com.
The Language of Threads is a continuation of Gail Tsukiyama’s excellent book Women of the Silk. I’m glad to have read both in sequence, which immersed me in the main character’s entire life.
In the first book, Pei is taken from her small China village, sold to work at a silk factory in a larger village, and uprooted to Hong Kong at the end. As the second book starts, it’s 1938. Japanese soldiers are marching through China and viciously winning all the battles, but they haven’t yet reached Hong Kong.
Pei and her young ward Ji Shen connect with other silk sisters. They take a room in a boarding house while Pei looks for work and gets teenage Ji Shen settled at school. Most displaced silk workers find work as domestics, and that’s where Pei’s story starts.
But it wouldn’t be interesting if everything went smooth as silk. So, Pei and Ji Shen have a few changes in circumstance throughout the story. And of course, the Japanese do reach Hong Kong and occupy the island.
Tsukiyama introduces more characters including a teenage Chinese boy who pulls a rickshaw, a kind English widow, and a few more nefarious sorts. She also circles back to characters from the first book, which brings a sense of closure for both Pei and her readers.
My conclusions
The threads between book one and two make strong connections to the two eras of Pei’s life. She works with cloth, silk, and thread throughout the stories. And the people who mean something to her remain vital parts of her life, even after she is no longer near them. These messages resonate with me in the time of COVID, since we’re not as physically connected these days.
I appreciate Tsukiyama’s writing style. It may be too slow and subtle for some people, but I felt immersed from the moment I opened both books. These days all I want is to read historical fiction and visit other times and places. Reading about a typical U.S. town in the recent past seems too fraught with pre-pandemic memories. So, I’m glad to find authors like Tsukiyama who have extensive catalogs I can explore.
If you want to escape to the other side of the world, The Language of Threads is a good choice. It does contain war time realities like food shortages and internment. But the strength of its heartwarming characters balances the sadness with strength.
Pair with the first book in the two-book series, Women of the Silk. You’ll miss too much if you start with book two. And they’re both under 300 pages, and they go quickly.
The Language of Threads is a continuation of Gail Tsukiyama’s excellent book Women of the Silk. I’m glad to have read both in sequence, which immersed me in the main character’s entire life.
In the first book, Pei is taken from her small China village, sold to work at a silk factory in a larger village, and uprooted to Hong Kong at the end. As the second book starts, it’s 1938. Japanese soldiers are marching through China and viciously winning all the battles, but they haven’t yet reached Hong Kong.
Pei and her young ward Ji Shen connect with other silk sisters. They take a room in a boarding house while Pei looks for work and gets teenage Ji Shen settled at school. Most displaced silk workers find work as domestics, and that’s where Pei’s story starts.
But it wouldn’t be interesting if everything went smooth as silk. So, Pei and Ji Shen have a few changes in circumstance throughout the story. And of course, the Japanese do reach Hong Kong and occupy the island.
Tsukiyama introduces more characters including a teenage Chinese boy who pulls a rickshaw, a kind English widow, and a few more nefarious sorts. She also circles back to characters from the first book, which brings a sense of closure for both Pei and her readers.
My conclusions
The threads between book one and two make strong connections to the two eras of Pei’s life. She works with cloth, silk, and thread throughout the stories. And the people who mean something to her remain vital parts of her life, even after she is no longer near them. These messages resonate with me in the time of COVID, since we’re not as physically connected these days.
I appreciate Tsukiyama’s writing style. It may be too slow and subtle for some people, but I felt immersed from the moment I opened both books. These days all I want is to read historical fiction and visit other times and places. Reading about a typical U.S. town in the recent past seems too fraught with pre-pandemic memories. So, I’m glad to find authors like Tsukiyama who have extensive catalogs I can explore.
If you want to escape to the other side of the world, The Language of Threads is a good choice. It does contain war time realities like food shortages and internment. But the strength of its heartwarming characters balances the sadness with strength.
Pair with the first book in the two-book series, Women of the Silk. You’ll miss too much if you start with book two. And they’re both under 300 pages, and they go quickly.
April 2, 2012
I don't grant 5 stars very often. This book duo deserves it. The first book is "Women of the Silk" the second "The Language of Threads." As I first engaged in this adventure, I stepped off with trepidation. I wondered if it would be yet another story of the horrors of how the Chinese treat their women. Foot binding. Discarding female babies. Slave trade. Dog worth. Etc...I have read many of these stories in my day, and just wasn't sure my heart was in a place to endure more of that just now. And yes, this book does address many of these issues, but it is not by any stretch the focal point. We are led through the lifetime of Pei. From impoverished Fish Farm daughter, sold into being a Silk Worker and onto the expansion of her life outside of China in what was then English Hong Kong. The story carries through both books from the early 1900's right past WWII (and while it must address the political environment of the time, it does not get bogged down in explaining it). The reason I ended up loving these books was because of the development of the sisterhood story. In the midst of the grief and pain, labor and hardship, the sisters built together. Sisters of the heart, not sisters of the blood. The women with very few exceptions took care of the women, the young, the working age and the elders. It is beautifully told. There is a depth of kindness written here. A power shown in many unexpected places. An undoing of misconception. Delicious in it's descriptions which reached into my heart. It is a story of life, love, loss, death, birth, ancestors, ghosts, intuition, food, hard work, fear, creativity, desperation, integrity, tenacity...living. I highly recommend both of these books. Don't start one if you don't intend to do both. Top shelf! I read them like wildfire this last 2 weeks. I honor the work of Gail Tsukiyuma.
June 15, 2010
The Language of Threads is the sequel to Women of the Silk, which should be read first. The story refers to events that happened in the first book, so I plan to go back and read it. Gail Tsukiyama writes well, providing insight into the customs in China and the lives of Chinese women.
This is the story of a young Chinese girl, Pei, who leaves China and flees to Hong Kong after the invasion of Japan during the Second World War. She worked in a silk factory in a small Chinese town (the first story) where women bonded together in a close knit sisterhood and life was, in general, better than for most.
In Hong Kong Pei and Ji Shen, a young orphan in her care, find work as domestics, first for a wealthy Chinese family and then for an English woman. The Japanese invade Hong Kong, leaving Pei and Ji Shen alone once again. Life is difficult for many years, but they gradually find their way to a more prosperous life after the Japanese are defeated. Pei struggles to find her place and create a family out of those remaining.
This is a wonderful look at what life was like during and after WWII for many Chinese. It was difficult, yet the women provided for and sheltered each other.
This is the story of a young Chinese girl, Pei, who leaves China and flees to Hong Kong after the invasion of Japan during the Second World War. She worked in a silk factory in a small Chinese town (the first story) where women bonded together in a close knit sisterhood and life was, in general, better than for most.
In Hong Kong Pei and Ji Shen, a young orphan in her care, find work as domestics, first for a wealthy Chinese family and then for an English woman. The Japanese invade Hong Kong, leaving Pei and Ji Shen alone once again. Life is difficult for many years, but they gradually find their way to a more prosperous life after the Japanese are defeated. Pei struggles to find her place and create a family out of those remaining.
This is a wonderful look at what life was like during and after WWII for many Chinese. It was difficult, yet the women provided for and sheltered each other.
December 9, 2025
"In the past month, Pei had learned what to hold on to and what to discard."
"Song Lee embraced each memory, allowed her to return to her with a dull ache or a flicker of happiness."
"Forgiveness was a soothing balm, a cool breeze of relief."
"...to think how two swift words like 'yes' or 'no' could change a life."
"Song Lee embraced each memory, allowed her to return to her with a dull ache or a flicker of happiness."
"Forgiveness was a soothing balm, a cool breeze of relief."
"...to think how two swift words like 'yes' or 'no' could change a life."
June 10, 2024
Yes, this story took me forever to finish but that was on me but because of the story. Wonderful writing and terrific story.
May 22, 2018
Simple, straightforward, competently written, but lacks conviction. There's nothing to set the book apart from all the Asian women's tales of woes that have been told under many forms already. Pei's identity as a silk factory worker serves barely as background for her new life in Hong Kong, and what little we learned of her work at the silk factory it was thanks to scant flashbacks - the lack of research making this angle of the book insufficient and impersonal. The many POVs make me feel like the author was too greedy - trying to tell the stories of all these women, and never stopping for long enough to make a mark. The theme of the book, the "language of thread", is only introduced in like the 12th chapter out of 16th, and it doesn't mean anything. Nothing about the rest of the book points to it, nothing that happens since contributes to its meaning. It's kind of just there.
In conclusion, an ok book that covered all the bases. But the author could grow a little more as a writer to make it a good story.
EDIT: You know what. I thought about this book one day after in the shower. I'm taking away one star. Fuck you. For a book about invisible mending and the flow of thread, this book is about as clumsy as a quilted blanket. Do we get any clue about Pei's skills as a mender in the first 1/3 of the book? No!!! The author just threw it at us when Pei ran out of a job and had to be able to do something for a living. The last 3 chapters or so is about Pei's reunion with her sister and her escape from her hellish marriage and to the ~~~freedom~~~in Hong Kong. Great, I would've cared more about the sister if I actually knew something about her aside from her name, mentioned like once in the first chapter!! Ugh. The incoherence is enough to make you scream. This book is like a first draft of all the things the author wants to put in. If I were her editor I surely would make her rewrite the entire thing if only to have a more fluid story flow.
In conclusion, an ok book that covered all the bases. But the author could grow a little more as a writer to make it a good story.
EDIT: You know what. I thought about this book one day after in the shower. I'm taking away one star. Fuck you. For a book about invisible mending and the flow of thread, this book is about as clumsy as a quilted blanket. Do we get any clue about Pei's skills as a mender in the first 1/3 of the book? No!!! The author just threw it at us when Pei ran out of a job and had to be able to do something for a living. The last 3 chapters or so is about Pei's reunion with her sister and her escape from her hellish marriage and to the ~~~freedom~~~in Hong Kong. Great, I would've cared more about the sister if I actually knew something about her aside from her name, mentioned like once in the first chapter!! Ugh. The incoherence is enough to make you scream. This book is like a first draft of all the things the author wants to put in. If I were her editor I surely would make her rewrite the entire thing if only to have a more fluid story flow.
June 9, 2008
Last year I got the opportunity to hear Tsukiyama speak at a banquet for the Willamette Writers in Portland. She is half Japanese-American and half Chinese-American, and most of her books center around Japan or China. After hearing her speak, I read her first novel, "Women of the Silk" (about women who worked in the silk factories in China) and loved it. "The Language of Threads" picks up where "Women of the Silk" left off.
I can see that Tsukiyama's writing has only improved in the interval between the two books. The Language of Threads is the continuing story of former silk worker, Pei, as she escapes to Hong Kong and endures WWII under the Japanese occupation. She continues to form strong friendships and thrive in the midst of the chaos around her.
Pei's story is unusual in literature about China for two reasons: (1) women rely on each other more than they rely on men...it's a hopeful story about women sticking together through turmoil, and (2) the books have positive male characters (as well as negative). I also find it interesting to consider Tsukiyama's ethnic background, 1/2 Chinese and 1/2 Japanese, and wonder about her own inner turmoil as she writes about what her Japanese ancestry did to her Chinese ancestry around the time of the war.
Well worth the time! If you read this one, I strongly enourage you to read "Women of the Silk" first.
I can see that Tsukiyama's writing has only improved in the interval between the two books. The Language of Threads is the continuing story of former silk worker, Pei, as she escapes to Hong Kong and endures WWII under the Japanese occupation. She continues to form strong friendships and thrive in the midst of the chaos around her.
Pei's story is unusual in literature about China for two reasons: (1) women rely on each other more than they rely on men...it's a hopeful story about women sticking together through turmoil, and (2) the books have positive male characters (as well as negative). I also find it interesting to consider Tsukiyama's ethnic background, 1/2 Chinese and 1/2 Japanese, and wonder about her own inner turmoil as she writes about what her Japanese ancestry did to her Chinese ancestry around the time of the war.
Well worth the time! If you read this one, I strongly enourage you to read "Women of the Silk" first.
May 15, 2016
I very much enjoyed this story of Pei and Ji Shen, two Chinese girls whose family's gave them up to work at a silk factory. When the Japanese invaded, Pei and Ji Shen barely escaped to Hong Kong with their lives, leaving behind all that they knew. When I read stories like this, my first gut reaction is to feel blessed that I have not had to experience such hardship winning a random lottery not of my making to have been born in the United States of Swedish/Polish heritage. My second most prominent thought is admiration for immigrants who bravely make their way in a foreign country by working hard and trying to assimilate as best as they can. And, of course, I always feel war is awful for people on earth regardless of what country is fighting with another. I don't think our DNA as homo sapiens will allow us to get along with each other or for us to rise collectively above the futility of war, but it makes me sad at how many innocents must pay in these situations. I also was impressed at how silk workers had a sisterhood that became a family that could be relied upon. As much horror as there was, there were silver linings and I like how these women were portrayed as strong and brave under horrible circumstances.
March 1, 2016
This is the sequel to "Women of the Silk", where we keep following Pei's life. However, didn't find this as brilliant as the first one. Somehow the characters didn't get so clear in my mind and they made me feel as if they were broadly the same from the first book, but undercover of a different name! Regardless, found this very engaging and could keep on reading about Pei!
Probably for the benefit of readers who have not read the "Women of the Silk" some of its plot is explained in this book, but for me (with only a couple of weeks interval between the books), it became a bit repetitive.
I really enjoy reading Gail Tsukiyama's books, I've been saving them for a while, but now finally decided to delight myself with a few! It's been treat time as I work on reducing my to-be-read physical shelf!
Probably for the benefit of readers who have not read the "Women of the Silk" some of its plot is explained in this book, but for me (with only a couple of weeks interval between the books), it became a bit repetitive.
I really enjoy reading Gail Tsukiyama's books, I've been saving them for a while, but now finally decided to delight myself with a few! It's been treat time as I work on reducing my to-be-read physical shelf!
July 21, 2020
I think I would have liked this better if my expectations had not been so high, but after reading Tsukiyama's "Samurai's Garden," her "Language of Threads" was a disappointment. It is set in pre War II and then during WW II Hong Kong but there is not much subtlety here - it is Japanese Devils versus the Chinese. The protagonist is a silk worker and I craved more information about this interesting dying profession - there were hints about the silk sisterhood and the vows of the silk sisterhood but not enough information. The characters were fairly flat with little nuance and almost no motivation shown for their feelings and actions. I really did not care much about what happened to the characters - partly because it was so predictable and partly because they were so flatly drawn.
January 31, 2016
If you haven't read a book by author Gail Tsukiyama, you are missing out! This book was amazing! I started out reading it just to read it because I love just about every book in the world and also because I just couldn't put it down once I picked it up. I love how strong Pei is in this book. Even though sometimes she probably really didn't want to be. This book was so loving, so touching, so inspirational. Now that I have read this book by Gail, I want to read more. She just did such a good job on this story and I bet her other ones are just as good. A book that I would never normally read turned out to be one of the most dear books to my heart. Try this one out...you won't be disappointed! (I am now officially obsessed with this author's work-I can't wait to read another one!)
August 23, 2019
I bought this book based solely off the title because I love sewing and fabric with no clue what it was about. And that was a great decision because it was so much more. Apparently it’s a sequel but you don’t need to read the first to enjoy this book. Also I loved it because I got my BA in History, specifically Asian and Pacific History. So colour me surprised when the book takes place during Japanese occupies Hong Kong and the eventual rise of Mao in mainland China. I just adored it and at times some of the sewing and thread analogies just made me so happy. However not a 5 start because there were a few loose ends haha pun intended. None the less I recommend!
May 5, 2014
Beautiful! That's all I can say, the follow up to Women of The Silk is just as well written , engaging and at times emotional is WOTS. The only blip was no knowing what became of Chen Long my favourite 'sister' who was so feisty and courageous leading the women through protesting against the poor working conditions of the silk workers. I'm truely a fan of historical fiction and this author, I will be on a hunt for the rest of her books and any similar.
The start, middle and end were all enjoyable and not predictable! I loved every page.
The start, middle and end were all enjoyable and not predictable! I loved every page.
June 14, 2022
I'm teetering between a two and a three in regards to this novel. I picked up this book secondhand because I'm going on a reading binge. I was intrigued by the premise of the (continued) life of a silk worker. I normally don't take a chance on sequels or series when I've not read the first book, but this was $2 so I thought what the hell, give it a go.
Firstly, the writing is clear and accessible. There are references to Chinese terms, customs and superstitions that will likely confuse some people (I had already researched about Chinese face reading a long time ago so I wasn't at all surprised when it came up throughout the book but I imagine most Westerners will have no idea what's happening). It's not enough to make the book unreadable and adds to the authenticity.
There is a lot of cross referencing to the first book, which is good if like me you're completely new to these characters, however, the author references the past a lot, almost too much, and not always in a useful way. The memory of Lin comes up constantly. If Pei is sad, happy, traumatized, she remembers Lin. I started getting annoyed by how often she comes up because it felt like every paragraph traced back to a character that isn't even alive or present, and whose impact is somehow so far reaching that Pei won't even date men. I think Pei's membership to the sisterhood is used as an excuse but as admirer Ho Yung acknowledges, "he understood how Pei could cherish one person for a lifetime", there is clearly more to the relationship between Lin and Pei that I'm not getting from this book alone! But even if I don't know what happened between these girls, it's established well enough that Pei misses her and is traumatized by Lin's death, it doesn't need to come up constantly.
The formula of the novel is told over many years of the Japanese occupation in Hong Kong, as well as the after math. Because the story progresses so quickly it doesn't provide enough time to really establish characters and their connections. Mrs. Finch is a good example of this, she is a short lived character who loves the protagonist Pei, and her adoptive sister, Ji Shen, with every fibre of her being, almost immediately. The only reason given is that she's been lonely and widowed. You will see these types of relationships repeated throughout the book. Many single women, absolutely devoted to one another, because they are lonely and thrown together through circumstance. Because we don't get time to establish these relationships, the trust and unconditional love feels unearned. Many of the subplots feel rushed and character development suffers as a result.
Which brings me to my next point. While the book jumps from character to character, sub plot to sub plot, there is no central conflict, and it feels more like a simulated autobiography as in real life where there are times when not much happens. I didn't get a great sense of tension when the Japanese occupied, but when I read Pei's sister's account of her life I felt nothing but tension and trauma and sadness. I'm not sure why the author struggled to carry the weight of these themes, themes of war and violence, when the occupation takes place. You only get a glimmer of the destruction and it's usually followed by "life went on as usual". Knowing that the war in Ukraine is taking place, seeing the devastation and destruction, I know life is not as usual for them and won't be for years afterward, so I find the author's approach to what should be traumatic weirdly subdued, like she was too afraid to go further with it.
It is important to note that unlike the first novel this book actually isn't about a silk worker and the industry, but about a retired silk worker who relies on the connections she's made in the sisterhood to get her by in her new life. There are references to the sisterhood throughout, and textiles do come into play consistently throughout the book, and the ending allows things to come full circle. That being said, the ending doesn't blow me away with any significant revelation. It seems like all the loose ends are quickly tied up with no real feeling of satisfaction. It's an ok read but I'm not compelled to come back to it.
Firstly, the writing is clear and accessible. There are references to Chinese terms, customs and superstitions that will likely confuse some people (I had already researched about Chinese face reading a long time ago so I wasn't at all surprised when it came up throughout the book but I imagine most Westerners will have no idea what's happening). It's not enough to make the book unreadable and adds to the authenticity.
There is a lot of cross referencing to the first book, which is good if like me you're completely new to these characters, however, the author references the past a lot, almost too much, and not always in a useful way. The memory of Lin comes up constantly. If Pei is sad, happy, traumatized, she remembers Lin. I started getting annoyed by how often she comes up because it felt like every paragraph traced back to a character that isn't even alive or present, and whose impact is somehow so far reaching that Pei won't even date men. I think Pei's membership to the sisterhood is used as an excuse but as admirer Ho Yung acknowledges, "he understood how Pei could cherish one person for a lifetime", there is clearly more to the relationship between Lin and Pei that I'm not getting from this book alone! But even if I don't know what happened between these girls, it's established well enough that Pei misses her and is traumatized by Lin's death, it doesn't need to come up constantly.
The formula of the novel is told over many years of the Japanese occupation in Hong Kong, as well as the after math. Because the story progresses so quickly it doesn't provide enough time to really establish characters and their connections. Mrs. Finch is a good example of this, she is a short lived character who loves the protagonist Pei, and her adoptive sister, Ji Shen, with every fibre of her being, almost immediately. The only reason given is that she's been lonely and widowed. You will see these types of relationships repeated throughout the book. Many single women, absolutely devoted to one another, because they are lonely and thrown together through circumstance. Because we don't get time to establish these relationships, the trust and unconditional love feels unearned. Many of the subplots feel rushed and character development suffers as a result.
Which brings me to my next point. While the book jumps from character to character, sub plot to sub plot, there is no central conflict, and it feels more like a simulated autobiography as in real life where there are times when not much happens. I didn't get a great sense of tension when the Japanese occupied, but when I read Pei's sister's account of her life I felt nothing but tension and trauma and sadness. I'm not sure why the author struggled to carry the weight of these themes, themes of war and violence, when the occupation takes place. You only get a glimmer of the destruction and it's usually followed by "life went on as usual". Knowing that the war in Ukraine is taking place, seeing the devastation and destruction, I know life is not as usual for them and won't be for years afterward, so I find the author's approach to what should be traumatic weirdly subdued, like she was too afraid to go further with it.
It is important to note that unlike the first novel this book actually isn't about a silk worker and the industry, but about a retired silk worker who relies on the connections she's made in the sisterhood to get her by in her new life. There are references to the sisterhood throughout, and textiles do come into play consistently throughout the book, and the ending allows things to come full circle. That being said, the ending doesn't blow me away with any significant revelation. It seems like all the loose ends are quickly tied up with no real feeling of satisfaction. It's an ok read but I'm not compelled to come back to it.
October 13, 2022
From the first page, I was hooked by this premise: Pei, a former silk worker, moves to Hong Kong with Ji Shen, a young girl. Pei becomes a servant in two households: one a Chinese family and the other a British woman's house. I loved the first half of this book much more than the second half. There was so much chemistry between Pei and Mrs. Finch. I found this narrative thread to be the most exciting, even when Mrs. Finch gets taken to the internment camp.
The second half of the book, or maybe at the two-thirds mark, I was less interested. I knew the ending had to resolve Pei's feelings of her friend Lin, who died in the silk factory, but I wasn't as emotionally invested in this story line as I was with Mrs. Finch.
Another favorite character was Quan, the rickshaw driver who helps guide them through Hong Kong and develops a lovely relationship with Ji Shen. When Ji Shen dies in childbirth, I felt particularly bad for Quan, who I think would have loved to have a romantic relationship with Ji Shen, only Ji Shen gets involved with the black market and Lock, the seductive gang leader, who ends up impregnating her, while at the same time sleeping with other women.
Overall, I loved how this book was about women helping women, as Publishers Weekly points out. This is the story of women surviving through war and invasion, through poverty and sickness, through a changing Hong Kong. I really loved this book and will follow Gail Tsukiyama's work closely.
The second half of the book, or maybe at the two-thirds mark, I was less interested. I knew the ending had to resolve Pei's feelings of her friend Lin, who died in the silk factory, but I wasn't as emotionally invested in this story line as I was with Mrs. Finch.
Another favorite character was Quan, the rickshaw driver who helps guide them through Hong Kong and develops a lovely relationship with Ji Shen. When Ji Shen dies in childbirth, I felt particularly bad for Quan, who I think would have loved to have a romantic relationship with Ji Shen, only Ji Shen gets involved with the black market and Lock, the seductive gang leader, who ends up impregnating her, while at the same time sleeping with other women.
Overall, I loved how this book was about women helping women, as Publishers Weekly points out. This is the story of women surviving through war and invasion, through poverty and sickness, through a changing Hong Kong. I really loved this book and will follow Gail Tsukiyama's work closely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2022
Tells about hardships of women of the silk. Women who remain single, belong to the sisterhood and devote their entire lives to the challenges of silk farming.
This is book 2 of the series. But i think this book is good and can stand on its own merits.
“We can’t run away from what defines our fates. Who we are and what we believe in grow from the roots of our past, no matter how much we try to deny it.”
This is book 2 of the series. But i think this book is good and can stand on its own merits.
“We can’t run away from what defines our fates. Who we are and what we believe in grow from the roots of our past, no matter how much we try to deny it.”
September 18, 2020
Excellent book protraying the struggle of women and their successes and defeats
July 14, 2023
Another great book by Gail Tsukiyama ❤️
October 24, 2024
Just as heart wrenching as Women of the Silk, and it makes me want to embroider more.
August 14, 2017
This was a sequel to an earlier book that I haven't read. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read the first book. I have read a lot of historical fiction about WWII but not about the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong so that was an interesting perspective.
June 12, 2021
The sequel to the Women of the Silk, continues the story of Pei as a young woman escapes, from the small village of Canton when the silk factory closes, because of Japanese occupation of mainland China to Hong Kong. She has a young orphan from Nanking, Ji Shen traveling with her. This story takes place in the late 1930s early 1940s with the rise of imperial Japan trying to take over all of Asia. It has the same loving support that was described in the first book of women bonding together for survival. However, with the changes going on because of the war, women who worked in the silk factories had to find other means of support. This story focuses on the lives of Pei and Ji Shen trying to make it in Hong Kong. The capitalism is the backdrop as the women find work as domestics for wealthy Chinese families. The women are exploited and treated as chattel in the same manner working for the silk factory.
As with the Ms. Tsukiyama’s first book, it has the same emotional elements that pulls the reader quickly into the story. However, there is less character development but except for the elderly English expatriate who employs Pei. She is kind and becomes a surrogate mother and savior for both girls. You can feel the love between all three characters even after the Japanese Army takes over Hong Kong. Pei and Ji Shen feel a sense of responsibility to take care of this women just because she is an English citizen.
This story ties the loose ends of Pei life and ends with Pei feeling satisfied about her life despite all the trauma and sadness. Both books are worth reading and thoroughly enjoyable.
As with the Ms. Tsukiyama’s first book, it has the same emotional elements that pulls the reader quickly into the story. However, there is less character development but except for the elderly English expatriate who employs Pei. She is kind and becomes a surrogate mother and savior for both girls. You can feel the love between all three characters even after the Japanese Army takes over Hong Kong. Pei and Ji Shen feel a sense of responsibility to take care of this women just because she is an English citizen.
This story ties the loose ends of Pei life and ends with Pei feeling satisfied about her life despite all the trauma and sadness. Both books are worth reading and thoroughly enjoyable.
November 18, 2014
Now we finally learn what happened to Pei, as she leaves the silk house for Hong Kong in the 1930s, arriving with a young orphan, Ji Shen, in her care. Her first job, in the home of a wealthy family, ends in disgrace, but soon Pei and Ji Shen find a new life in the home of Mrs. Finch, a British ex-patriate who welcomes them as the daughters she never had. Their idyllic life is interrupted, however, by war, and the Japanese occupation.
Pei, a character and a women you will not forget. Her life is full of joy and sorrow, her mettle endlessly tested and she gracefully rises to each challenge, stoically deals with each blow and humbly accepts the joys rarely surfacing in her heartbreaking world.
The narrative spans from the 1930′s thru 1970′s rich in historical content. The ending could not have been better. A perfect compliment to both character and narrative.
A wonderful story of facts unknown, historical moments described vividly. The silk factory and the lives of the workers is informative. Life in Hong Kong prior to the Japanese takeover well executed.
What will strike a positive cord with readers – the strength of the woman and women highlighted. Determination against insurmountable odds, undoubtedly inspiring leaving you impressed.
Pei, a character and a women you will not forget. Her life is full of joy and sorrow, her mettle endlessly tested and she gracefully rises to each challenge, stoically deals with each blow and humbly accepts the joys rarely surfacing in her heartbreaking world.
The narrative spans from the 1930′s thru 1970′s rich in historical content. The ending could not have been better. A perfect compliment to both character and narrative.
A wonderful story of facts unknown, historical moments described vividly. The silk factory and the lives of the workers is informative. Life in Hong Kong prior to the Japanese takeover well executed.
What will strike a positive cord with readers – the strength of the woman and women highlighted. Determination against insurmountable odds, undoubtedly inspiring leaving you impressed.
July 25, 2025
Following the protagonist Pei through her life in China and Hong Kong is a harrowing and satisfying journey. Far from an easy tour, she struggles, finds friends, gains and loses everything, and finally realizes so much about life that we are thrilled to be along for the ride. Her companions are equally interesting and complex, with a few less men in her life and in the story overall than I had hoped for. But this is female-centered and has its own lessons to teach from that perspective. Read it and be glad that you have that privilege.
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