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Three Souls
An absorbing novel of romance and revolution, loyalty and family, sacrifice and undying love
We have three souls, or so I'd been told. But only in death could I confirm this ...
So begins the haunting and captivating tale, set in 1935 China, of the ghost of a young woman named Leiyin, who watches her own funeral from above and wonders why she is being denied entry to the afterlife. Beside her are three souls—stern and scholarly yang; impulsive, romantic yin; and wise, shining hun—who will guide her toward understanding. She must, they tell her, make amends.
As Leiyin delves back in time with the three souls to review her life, she sees the spoiled and privileged teenager she once was, a girl who is concerned with her own desires while China is fractured by civil war and social upheaval. At a party, she meets Hanchin, a captivating left-wing poet and translator, and instantly falls in love with him.
When Leiyin defies her father to pursue Hanchin, she learns the harsh truth—that she is powerless over her fate. Her punishment for disobedience leads to exile, an unwanted marriage, a pregnancy, and, ultimately, her death. And when she discovers what she must do to be released from limbo into the afterlife, Leiyin realizes that the time for making amends is shorter than she thought.
Suffused with history and literature, Three Souls is an epic tale of revenge and betrayal, forbidden love, and the price we are willing to pay for freedom.
We have three souls, or so I'd been told. But only in death could I confirm this ...
So begins the haunting and captivating tale, set in 1935 China, of the ghost of a young woman named Leiyin, who watches her own funeral from above and wonders why she is being denied entry to the afterlife. Beside her are three souls—stern and scholarly yang; impulsive, romantic yin; and wise, shining hun—who will guide her toward understanding. She must, they tell her, make amends.
As Leiyin delves back in time with the three souls to review her life, she sees the spoiled and privileged teenager she once was, a girl who is concerned with her own desires while China is fractured by civil war and social upheaval. At a party, she meets Hanchin, a captivating left-wing poet and translator, and instantly falls in love with him.
When Leiyin defies her father to pursue Hanchin, she learns the harsh truth—that she is powerless over her fate. Her punishment for disobedience leads to exile, an unwanted marriage, a pregnancy, and, ultimately, her death. And when she discovers what she must do to be released from limbo into the afterlife, Leiyin realizes that the time for making amends is shorter than she thought.
Suffused with history and literature, Three Souls is an epic tale of revenge and betrayal, forbidden love, and the price we are willing to pay for freedom.
439 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2013
290 people are currently reading
9882 people want to read
About the author
Janie Chang
6 books1,333 followersJanie Chang is a bestselling author of historical fiction. Her books are often inspired by tales of ancestors who encountered dragons, ghosts, and immortals as well as family stories about life in China in the years before the Second World War. Her novels, THREE SOULS and DRAGON SPRINGS ROAD were nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award. DRAGON SPRINGS ROAD was a Canadian national bestseller. Her third novel THE LIBRARY OF LEGENDS was a Canadian national bestseller and a Book of the Month Club selection. THE PORCELAIN MOON is set in WWI France and brings to readers the forgotten history of the 140,000 Chinese workers sent to the Western Front. THE PHOENIX CROWN, a novel co-authored with Kate Quinn, released in February 2024. THE FOURTH PRINCESS, releasing in February 2026, is her first Gothic novel.
Born in Taiwan, Janie has lived in the Philippines, Iran, Thailand, and New Zealand. She now lives on the Sunshine Coast of beautiful British Columbia, Canada with her husband and Minnie, a rescue cat who thinks the staff could do better.
Born in Taiwan, Janie has lived in the Philippines, Iran, Thailand, and New Zealand. She now lives on the Sunshine Coast of beautiful British Columbia, Canada with her husband and Minnie, a rescue cat who thinks the staff could do better.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 567 reviews
February 10, 2020
Another update: I just noticed that this is $1.99 kindle special today. I’ve enjoyed Janie Chang’s books very much .... andI am excited to see if she has a new book coming out in May.
Me.... I get swept away into Chang’s storytelling 😊
Update: $1.99 GREAT SPECIAL —my God...............(great couple of deals today)....
A wonderful book. There are several 'wonderful' reviews here on Goodreads, too!!!
:)
BEAUTIFUL.....
......and if you don't believe me, ....it has an overall 4.07 star rating out of 1,346 ratings.
...............There are 270 reviews on Goodreads!
I bought this over- size paper back ( gorgeous book cover), last year after my friend Karen raved about it to me. It was the sound of her voice - her expression - her breath-- that made me want to read it immediately. Yet....it took me a year to get to it!
I KNEW I'd love it....and I did!!!!!!
Since there are already so many reviews - I'm going to add random thoughts - maybe I'll bring something new to the table. I PROMISE NO MAJOR SPOILERS....
.....If book clubs are looking for a great historical fiction discussion book - this is a wonderful choice. It covers a period of history just before
the Japanese invaded China.
There was a moment when Leiyin first arrived in Shanghi. She had just stepped off the train. She had dreams to going to a woman's college. She had received her acceptance letter and full scholarship to Hangchow Women's University. Her goals were clear: she wanted a University education - and she wanted to be in the arms of Hanchin.
I was already pretty sure neither of these things would work out for Leiyin.....I've read all of Lisa See's books- and other Chinese cultural type stories with a very similar themes....however --- I FELT a buzz-all-over-my-body- for "The Paris of the East".
If I could turn back clock...wave a Magic Wand...the place I would have loved to visit was *Shanghai* BEFORE the "Rape of Nanking". [before the horrific battle of Shanghai].
Shanghai was once the most beautiful cities of the world. For about a day Leiyin and her older sister, Gaoyin, got to enjoy a day of window shopping along Nanking Road where the buildings looked as though they had been lifted from a postcard of a European city, all stonework and porticoes, the sidewalks were filled with shoppers dressed in the latest fashions. It was a place to people watch. In Shanghai, the locals prided themselves on being blasé about the foreign presence in their city. Cruise ships brought travelers in by the thousands.
It's so easy to imagine walking along the Bund...then taking a rickshaw to Ave. Joffre to sit at a cafe table with a coffee and an eclair with a a close friend.
So... There are moments in this story....when 'your SOUL'. [no pun intended with the title], will blissfully be raised above the ... heavens on earth!
Leiyin had ambitions for herself since she was a child....but was thwarted every inch of the way. Her father made her life choices until her husband took over the role.
Her stepmother showed her a dose of reality one day of what would happen to her if she continued to reject your father, and walk out and try to live her own life.
Most of these run-a-way 'such women' were living in near poverty in very bleak conditions.
So...Leiyn marries the man chosen for her. Tries to be a good wife and obey'. Unhappy and lonely.... About the only thing that gave her a little happiness were letters from her sisters.
But....when Leiyin got pregnant a 'spark-of-fight-for-life' came back in her. She vowed
"no child of mine would ever depend on dowries or the generosity of in-laws".
.....A little about the THREE SOULS: Yang, ( stern and scholarly), yin, (romantic soul),
and hun, ( wise shinning soul).....rather than think of them as the ghosts that watched
after her funeral -wondering why Leiyin has been denied entry to the afterlife...
[and they do travel back in time].....
what worked best for me was submit the words "little voice" rather than the word ghost. I'm just not thrilled with image I get from ghosts.
.....Point is the "little voices", give perspectives -- different points of views --on the life choices Leiyin made when she was alive. It's all about atonement before walking into eternity.
But back the GHOSTS or LITTLE VOICES:
Don't we do that now....WHILE ALIVE? Talk to our little voices in our head? Fight with them at times? Often battle over a choice which needs to be made? We might even have two different beliefs about that choice, but we are hoping our PERFECT VOICE will step forward and ALWAYS have the correct answer to lead us down the path to
prosperity, and integrity, ....the path of no regret!! And don't we often need to find inner peace with 'all' our different voices - together - work them as a team when learning to forgive, and heal old emotional wounds? Either to thyself or to another person.
Janie Chang wrote a beautiful novel. Enjoyable - page turning engaging!!!!!
Highly recommend for those who enjoy big family -page turning sagas, anyone who has enjoyed Lisa See's books...or historical fiction...or a little magical realism 'lite',
and/or Asian cultural stories.
Me.... I get swept away into Chang’s storytelling 😊
Update: $1.99 GREAT SPECIAL —my God...............(great couple of deals today)....
A wonderful book. There are several 'wonderful' reviews here on Goodreads, too!!!
:)
BEAUTIFUL.....
......and if you don't believe me, ....it has an overall 4.07 star rating out of 1,346 ratings.
...............There are 270 reviews on Goodreads!
I bought this over- size paper back ( gorgeous book cover), last year after my friend Karen raved about it to me. It was the sound of her voice - her expression - her breath-- that made me want to read it immediately. Yet....it took me a year to get to it!
I KNEW I'd love it....and I did!!!!!!
Since there are already so many reviews - I'm going to add random thoughts - maybe I'll bring something new to the table. I PROMISE NO MAJOR SPOILERS....
.....If book clubs are looking for a great historical fiction discussion book - this is a wonderful choice. It covers a period of history just before
the Japanese invaded China.
There was a moment when Leiyin first arrived in Shanghi. She had just stepped off the train. She had dreams to going to a woman's college. She had received her acceptance letter and full scholarship to Hangchow Women's University. Her goals were clear: she wanted a University education - and she wanted to be in the arms of Hanchin.
I was already pretty sure neither of these things would work out for Leiyin.....I've read all of Lisa See's books- and other Chinese cultural type stories with a very similar themes....however --- I FELT a buzz-all-over-my-body- for "The Paris of the East".
If I could turn back clock...wave a Magic Wand...the place I would have loved to visit was *Shanghai* BEFORE the "Rape of Nanking". [before the horrific battle of Shanghai].
Shanghai was once the most beautiful cities of the world. For about a day Leiyin and her older sister, Gaoyin, got to enjoy a day of window shopping along Nanking Road where the buildings looked as though they had been lifted from a postcard of a European city, all stonework and porticoes, the sidewalks were filled with shoppers dressed in the latest fashions. It was a place to people watch. In Shanghai, the locals prided themselves on being blasé about the foreign presence in their city. Cruise ships brought travelers in by the thousands.
It's so easy to imagine walking along the Bund...then taking a rickshaw to Ave. Joffre to sit at a cafe table with a coffee and an eclair with a a close friend.
So... There are moments in this story....when 'your SOUL'. [no pun intended with the title], will blissfully be raised above the ... heavens on earth!
Leiyin had ambitions for herself since she was a child....but was thwarted every inch of the way. Her father made her life choices until her husband took over the role.
Her stepmother showed her a dose of reality one day of what would happen to her if she continued to reject your father, and walk out and try to live her own life.
Most of these run-a-way 'such women' were living in near poverty in very bleak conditions.
So...Leiyn marries the man chosen for her. Tries to be a good wife and obey'. Unhappy and lonely.... About the only thing that gave her a little happiness were letters from her sisters.
But....when Leiyin got pregnant a 'spark-of-fight-for-life' came back in her. She vowed
"no child of mine would ever depend on dowries or the generosity of in-laws".
.....A little about the THREE SOULS: Yang, ( stern and scholarly), yin, (romantic soul),
and hun, ( wise shinning soul).....rather than think of them as the ghosts that watched
after her funeral -wondering why Leiyin has been denied entry to the afterlife...
[and they do travel back in time].....
what worked best for me was submit the words "little voice" rather than the word ghost. I'm just not thrilled with image I get from ghosts.
.....Point is the "little voices", give perspectives -- different points of views --on the life choices Leiyin made when she was alive. It's all about atonement before walking into eternity.
But back the GHOSTS or LITTLE VOICES:
Don't we do that now....WHILE ALIVE? Talk to our little voices in our head? Fight with them at times? Often battle over a choice which needs to be made? We might even have two different beliefs about that choice, but we are hoping our PERFECT VOICE will step forward and ALWAYS have the correct answer to lead us down the path to
prosperity, and integrity, ....the path of no regret!! And don't we often need to find inner peace with 'all' our different voices - together - work them as a team when learning to forgive, and heal old emotional wounds? Either to thyself or to another person.
Janie Chang wrote a beautiful novel. Enjoyable - page turning engaging!!!!!
Highly recommend for those who enjoy big family -page turning sagas, anyone who has enjoyed Lisa See's books...or historical fiction...or a little magical realism 'lite',
and/or Asian cultural stories.
August 25, 2025
"Heaven lent you a soul. Earth will lend a grave."
-Chinese proverb.
"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."
-Zuzu Bailey.
This sparkling rites of passage story opens in the year 1935, in post-dynastic China.
The first chapter finds Song Leiyin and her three souls stuck in limbo between after-death and rebirth.
Struggling to come to terms with this quandary, they regroup, hoping to rectify the bad life choices that have stalled their smooth transition into a joyous reincarnation.
In life, Leiyin enjoyed an ivory tower upbringing and was a naive but petulant young lady given to romantic flights of fancy. However, the cold slap of death swiftly grants her a new-found perspective and some much-needed pragmatism.
This novel won't tax you; it's a smooth, easy read. Chang's writing is largely unadorned, her sentences are clipped, and her prose is demure. Similes are subtly whispered and artfully observed.
Had Leiyin 'existed' in our modern era, I have no doubt that she would have become an enthusiastic member of Goodreads.
Novels, especially Russian classics, are her number one passion, or were until Hanchin Hotpants arrives on the scene...
Yen Hanchin is the sharp-cheekboned poet/slash/bookbabe magnet whose smooth hands and dapper fingers are enough to send our girl weak at her Pinghunese knees.
It was precisely at this point that I wondered if a superbutch guy like me, who wrestles bears into submission, should really be reading what appeared to be a swoon-inducing, girly-girly bodice tickler...
Well, please feel free to paint my lips and call me Nancy! I enjoyed it anyway!
The story does find some backbone and begins to pick up pace with themes of secret motives, duplicitousness, desperation and atonement, all set against the advance of communism and the threat of war with Japan.
And pleasingly, the tale has a parabolic slant, reminiscent of It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol (i.e. what really matters to us in this world is actually hidden in plain sight and our actions, or lack thereof, could have disastrous consequences).
Chang's concept of attempting to right previous wrongs via astral portals is not an original one, but the way in which she enables her femme morte to engage with her earthly existence is extremely clever.
Please excuse this cliché, but I can easily see this making a splendid movie.
But, until that day comes, please appreciate what you have in this world, and make sure you watch It's a Wonderful Life each Christmas (even if you don't celebrate Christmas).
It's the law!
-Chinese proverb.
"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."
-Zuzu Bailey.
This sparkling rites of passage story opens in the year 1935, in post-dynastic China.
The first chapter finds Song Leiyin and her three souls stuck in limbo between after-death and rebirth.
Struggling to come to terms with this quandary, they regroup, hoping to rectify the bad life choices that have stalled their smooth transition into a joyous reincarnation.
In life, Leiyin enjoyed an ivory tower upbringing and was a naive but petulant young lady given to romantic flights of fancy. However, the cold slap of death swiftly grants her a new-found perspective and some much-needed pragmatism.
This novel won't tax you; it's a smooth, easy read. Chang's writing is largely unadorned, her sentences are clipped, and her prose is demure. Similes are subtly whispered and artfully observed.
Had Leiyin 'existed' in our modern era, I have no doubt that she would have become an enthusiastic member of Goodreads.
Novels, especially Russian classics, are her number one passion, or were until Hanchin Hotpants arrives on the scene...
Yen Hanchin is the sharp-cheekboned poet/slash/bookbabe magnet whose smooth hands and dapper fingers are enough to send our girl weak at her Pinghunese knees.
It was precisely at this point that I wondered if a superbutch guy like me, who wrestles bears into submission, should really be reading what appeared to be a swoon-inducing, girly-girly bodice tickler...
Well, please feel free to paint my lips and call me Nancy! I enjoyed it anyway!
The story does find some backbone and begins to pick up pace with themes of secret motives, duplicitousness, desperation and atonement, all set against the advance of communism and the threat of war with Japan.
And pleasingly, the tale has a parabolic slant, reminiscent of It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol (i.e. what really matters to us in this world is actually hidden in plain sight and our actions, or lack thereof, could have disastrous consequences).
Chang's concept of attempting to right previous wrongs via astral portals is not an original one, but the way in which she enables her femme morte to engage with her earthly existence is extremely clever.
Please excuse this cliché, but I can easily see this making a splendid movie.
But, until that day comes, please appreciate what you have in this world, and make sure you watch It's a Wonderful Life each Christmas (even if you don't celebrate Christmas).
It's the law!
November 15, 2016
4.5* Three Souls is all about hopes, dreams, disappointments and sadness of a young girl Leiyin Song as she approaches womanhood. Born into a well educated and wealthy family with strong traditional values, Leiyin and her sisters recognize they will have to accept arranged marriages, with impressive dowries to attract the best matches. Leiyin is an intelligent girl and desires so much more than her parents choices for her future. With ambitions and a passion to become a teacher, Leiyin secretly accepts a scholarship to Hangchow Women’s University. Her life’s journey has many paths to choose from, and the one Leiyin pursues may not achieve the happiness or fulfilment she longs for.
Set during the Chinese Revolution in the thirties, Three Souls is extremely well written with an enchanting and engaging story, and solid, well developed characters. A very enjoyable book, and highly recommended to all readers.
Set during the Chinese Revolution in the thirties, Three Souls is extremely well written with an enchanting and engaging story, and solid, well developed characters. A very enjoyable book, and highly recommended to all readers.
December 6, 2020
2.5 "wah wah Ms. Chang...I can't give you Three stars for the Three Souls" !!!
When magical realism or melodrama are done well I fall in love and gush and swoon. When they are done horribly I rant and rave. When these genres are done sort of ho hum but deteriorate as the book progresses well you guessed it you have Three Souls by Janie Chang.
I completely understand why my galpals raved about it and I see a few of their points but for me this is a book that missed the mark in many ways.
This book starts off as a historical chinese soap opera with magical elements and then by the end becomes a farcical political ghost story with no oooomph. The characters were superficially painted and by the end the colors fades, the lines blurred and they became impressionistic caricatures. The plot starts off cinematic and ends up being ridiculous like a film that has come to the end of its budget and has to finish with a bang that goes so wrong that you wonder how did it go so far astray.
Don't get me wrong....for the first two thirds of the book I was mildly interested and mildly immersed and I could just barely suspend my disbelief but the last third was utterly ridiculous and disappointing and yes often very annoying.
It is a nice treat when a mildly poor book improves towards the end and you have a ray of hope for the author's next book. However, when a book starts off as fairly entertaining with some potentially cool elements and then deteriorates to an annoying whiny ghost that tries to make amends then you really have to carefully consider if you will try another book by the author.
Quite frankly, I don't think I will !!
When magical realism or melodrama are done well I fall in love and gush and swoon. When they are done horribly I rant and rave. When these genres are done sort of ho hum but deteriorate as the book progresses well you guessed it you have Three Souls by Janie Chang.
I completely understand why my galpals raved about it and I see a few of their points but for me this is a book that missed the mark in many ways.
This book starts off as a historical chinese soap opera with magical elements and then by the end becomes a farcical political ghost story with no oooomph. The characters were superficially painted and by the end the colors fades, the lines blurred and they became impressionistic caricatures. The plot starts off cinematic and ends up being ridiculous like a film that has come to the end of its budget and has to finish with a bang that goes so wrong that you wonder how did it go so far astray.
Don't get me wrong....for the first two thirds of the book I was mildly interested and mildly immersed and I could just barely suspend my disbelief but the last third was utterly ridiculous and disappointing and yes often very annoying.
It is a nice treat when a mildly poor book improves towards the end and you have a ray of hope for the author's next book. However, when a book starts off as fairly entertaining with some potentially cool elements and then deteriorates to an annoying whiny ghost that tries to make amends then you really have to carefully consider if you will try another book by the author.
Quite frankly, I don't think I will !!
June 4, 2015
This was an AMAZING book and everything I could have hoped for! I was contemplating reading it for weeks and some days ago I finally decided to pick it up.
I like to call this story a modern retelling of "A Christmas Carol" set in China because it deals with a main character who dies. However, before she is sent to heaven, she is visited by three souls who take her through her life. They say that something went wrong in her life and that she needs to rectify it before she can continue to heaven. We then follow our main character's life in China from she's a child till her adulthood and it is such an interesting journey. As a reader, you keep trying to guess what went wrong with her life while things are revealed gradually.
I liked the whole idea of being able to rectify your life. Things go wrong and sometimes you wish you could change things and people's destinies. I really liked seeing how our main character develops during the retelling of her life and I found that development very inspirational. Janie Chang has created a character that behaves like a 17-year-old when she's 17 and like a 24-year-old when she's 24. The 17-year-old is very immature and makes decisions based on emotions and impulse. The 24-year-old is able to stand back and think of the consequences and I found this development very believable and true.
This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time to come because it deals with some life topics that I really care about. It is beautifully written and told, and I'm so happy that I found this gem hidden among my ever-growing TBR pile.
I like to call this story a modern retelling of "A Christmas Carol" set in China because it deals with a main character who dies. However, before she is sent to heaven, she is visited by three souls who take her through her life. They say that something went wrong in her life and that she needs to rectify it before she can continue to heaven. We then follow our main character's life in China from she's a child till her adulthood and it is such an interesting journey. As a reader, you keep trying to guess what went wrong with her life while things are revealed gradually.
I liked the whole idea of being able to rectify your life. Things go wrong and sometimes you wish you could change things and people's destinies. I really liked seeing how our main character develops during the retelling of her life and I found that development very inspirational. Janie Chang has created a character that behaves like a 17-year-old when she's 17 and like a 24-year-old when she's 24. The 17-year-old is very immature and makes decisions based on emotions and impulse. The 24-year-old is able to stand back and think of the consequences and I found this development very believable and true.
This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time to come because it deals with some life topics that I really care about. It is beautifully written and told, and I'm so happy that I found this gem hidden among my ever-growing TBR pile.
December 30, 2018
5/5stars ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOK
Book Summary
(October 2016) After reading over my previous reviews I felt the need to write an actually detailed summary of this book.
"Three Souls" is a novel set in 1930's China, and follows a young girl named Leiyin. Written by the wonderful Janie Chang, a woman born in Taiwan and who has lived all over the world, this novel is a beautifully written tale that incorporates Chang's family history and Chinese history, along with a plot that revolves around family and sin.
At the beginning of this novel, Leiyin has woken up as a ghost, drifting above her own casket and watching the mourners of her own funeral. Soon her three souls are introduced - her hun soul, her yin soul and her yang soul - who tell her that she isn't allowed to ascend to heaven, and that she has to figure out what she did during her life that has anchored her to the real world. If she doesn't find out quickly it'll be too late for her souls to be reincarnated.
So begins the recounting of Leiyin's life from the time that's she seventeen, first meeting the man Hanchin at her sister's engagement party who will forever change her life, until her death that kills both herself and her unborn son. Her life is filled with defiance as she refuses to obey her father, and later her husband, and sin as she betrays the people close to her. And eventually she must figure out, on her own, why she isn't allowed into the after-life, and how to fix her predicament. Told in beautiful prose that shift between Leiyin and her three souls discussing her memories, and Leiyin in her life; during which the reader meets many interesting characters.
This book is also so much about family. Family between Leiyin and her two sisters - Suiyin and Geoyin - between Leiyin and her Stepmother, and eventually Leiyin and her husband and daughter.
An amazing novel that I couldn't recommend enough!
Reread (December 2018)
Just as amazing as every other time I've read it - this time I really looked for the Chinese history and culture because it was my first time going into it with some background on these things
Reread (December 2017)
Every time I pick up this book to reread, I'm always TERRIFIED I won't love it as much as before.
And every time I pick up this book I'm overwhelmingly happy to discover I still love it as much as the last time.
I also love that every time I read this I find new things - eventually every single page is going to have a tab on it!
This time around I noticed even more about the chinese culture and history that I only vaguely knew about last year, and also found I could understand Leiyin so much more this time around. She really is such a brat at the beginning of the story, but this time I found myself understanding why she wanted to defy her father and why she so strongly argued for her independence and freedom to go to school. Education is such an important thing that many take for granted nowadays.
I also found myself wavering on my feelings for Hanchin. I love Hanchin, don't get me wrong, but in previous readings I always thought of him as the bad guy you were mean to love - but this time I really REALLY understood how absolutely horrible of a person he is (do I still love him? yeah, but I also now get why he's so awful lol I'm like Leiyin in this sense. Even when I know how bad he is I still love him).
Also a big question arose for me this time, which I'm surprised I didn't think of in my first several readings, but I think it probably has to do with me realizing how bad Hanchin is :
Also this might be SUCH a weird thing to think about, but more and more people (my friends, my subscribers, and just other people in general) are reading this book and I can't help but be like bUT YOU DON'T GET IT when they talk about their feelings. Leiyin and Baizhen and Gaoyin and Sueyin and Hanchin are all just so incredibly real to me, they feel like old friends I've known for ages. When other people read this book it feels like when you introduce your best friend from childhood to your new college/work friend and they don't like each other lol I don't know why but that was a very strong feeling of mine this reread - I felt like I was coming home to old friends, which I actually understand the feeling now after being in college for two years.
But, overall, I'll never not love this book and every single character. This time around I also found my heart aching and feeling horrible for Teinzhen who echoed the horrible drug problem that affects even people who I know who are dealing with addiction, and my love for Baizhen grew even more - I just want to wrap him in a blanket and shield him from all the badness of the world.
I obviously recommend this, and below is a book summary and my previous thoughts on it!
Reread (October 2016):
I swear I fall more and more in love with this novel everytime I read it. Since this was my third time reading fully through it (though, with how often I pick it up and read certain sections of it, I've probably read it about five or six times tbh) I let myself really focus on the background stories and characters, and not just the plot that was slapping you in the face because honestly this book is just so incredibly complex and wonderful.
On this runthrough, I realized how much I really dislike Leiyin through several parts of this story - sure, she ends up in my good graces by the time the book finishes, but there are just so many times I found myself hating her. like I said, I allowed myself to focus much more on smaller things in this novel upon this reread, and one of those was the character of Baizhen. Because we're reading from Leiyin's POV, the past few times I've read it through, I was definitely influenced by her internal monologue - looking at her father and Baizhen as the "bad guys" because they held her back from going to university and living the life she wanted. But wow, Baizhen legit did nothing wrong. He is such a sweet, pure little cinnamon roll who really didn't deserve how mean and awful Leiyin was to him. Most of my tabs I included in my copy of this book during this read through were of him and how adorable and sweet he is - and when I got angry at Leiyin for being so mean.
Of course, saying that, I still love the character of Hanchin. I can't not, I don't know why, because he really is the "bad guy" of this novel but he's just so incredibly complex and interesting - and of course he's the driving factor of this entire novel.
Also, reading this novel after reading many other Japanese/Chinese/Korean novels was much more... fulfilling? I'm not sure what word I'm thinking of, but it made me appreciate how this novel is formatted and what themes it brings up and how everything sort of happens. Asian literature and asian authors really do have a unique way of telling their stories - at least to me, whose read white men and women her entire life growing up until recently. Reading more diverse novels this past year really helped me to appreciate this novel even more.
Also I might redo my original review because I feel like it's just not an amazing summary - it's pretty short, and I apparently originally thought the ending of this novel was unfulfilling wHICH IS JUST WRONG 16 YEAR OLD KATE, but oh well, we'll see, I don't wanna tamper too much with my original thoughts.
But, yeah, obviously incredible, can't wait to read Janie's new book coming out in January 2017!!!
ReRead (July 2015):
Just as amazing the second time reading it. It was so nice getting to read this and look for little things that I hadn't seen or understood before. Like, I feel like I really appreciated the politics of this novel a lot more this time around due to actually understanding what was happening since we learned about it in History this past year; I really appreciated how much history was truly woven into it. I also got to focus so much more on smaller characters, like Old Kwan and Dali and Little Ming. This novel is just everything to me, it's so incredibly amazing and I absolutely adore it. I feel like I've got most of my feelings in my first reading review (below) because obviously I still ADORE this novel and it' still my ALL TIME FAVORITE EVER. I mostly enjoyed this read through more because of the little things I noticed and truly understanding the history behind it. I also got to mark important things and my favorite parts throughout it, which is always nice!
First Read (April 2014):
I honestly don't know if I'll be able to express how much I loved this book. It was incredibly unique and took you through a world where not many people honestly care to venture through. Set in China during the 1930's, this novel takes you through the memories of Leiyin, a young girl who has died and must discover the reason she hasn't been allowed to continue on to the after life. She gets to watch her life from the age of seventeen, until her death, play out in front of her. She watches the mistakes she made unravel and she realizes exactly how she would have relived her life if she got the chance. The betrayals, old-fashioned traditions and the love Leiyin felt throughout her life truly made this book incredible.
(spoilers from here)
The character of Hanchin was one that I just wanted to scream at Leiyin for being so stupid about. As a young girl she meets the incredibly handsome poet and translator at a party, and from then on is captivated. The entire story is set in motion because of him. If he hadn't come into her life Leiyin wouldn't have tried to run away, she wouldn't have been married off at random, and she wouldn't have died so suddenly.
And you've got to feel bad for Leiyin's husband, Baizhen, who all he did was care for her and love her, and in return Leiyin cheats on him when Hanchin randomly comes back into her life.
I could go on and on about each character - Leiyin's sister and their husbands, her eldest brother, her second brother who was the nastiest, most traitorous fiend in the book - but you'll find out about them for yourself when you read this book.
The end of the novel was... a bit unfulfilling but I didn't feel like it could have ended any other way. You basically know that Leiyin finally gets to go to Heaven, but the way Janie Chang writes it, it allows for the reader to delve into the recesses of their own imagination, and I absolutely love books that do that (to an extent. If a novel just doesn't end at all and has tons of loose ends, it's not good.)
I would recommend this to anyone in high school and up - I truly think any adult would be able to appreciate thing book, as well as more-mature teenagers. I can honestly say it's one of my favorite books and I'm going to make sure everyone I know borrows my copy so they can enjoy it too!
Book Summary
(October 2016) After reading over my previous reviews I felt the need to write an actually detailed summary of this book.
"Three Souls" is a novel set in 1930's China, and follows a young girl named Leiyin. Written by the wonderful Janie Chang, a woman born in Taiwan and who has lived all over the world, this novel is a beautifully written tale that incorporates Chang's family history and Chinese history, along with a plot that revolves around family and sin.
At the beginning of this novel, Leiyin has woken up as a ghost, drifting above her own casket and watching the mourners of her own funeral. Soon her three souls are introduced - her hun soul, her yin soul and her yang soul - who tell her that she isn't allowed to ascend to heaven, and that she has to figure out what she did during her life that has anchored her to the real world. If she doesn't find out quickly it'll be too late for her souls to be reincarnated.
So begins the recounting of Leiyin's life from the time that's she seventeen, first meeting the man Hanchin at her sister's engagement party who will forever change her life, until her death that kills both herself and her unborn son. Her life is filled with defiance as she refuses to obey her father, and later her husband, and sin as she betrays the people close to her. And eventually she must figure out, on her own, why she isn't allowed into the after-life, and how to fix her predicament. Told in beautiful prose that shift between Leiyin and her three souls discussing her memories, and Leiyin in her life; during which the reader meets many interesting characters.
This book is also so much about family. Family between Leiyin and her two sisters - Suiyin and Geoyin - between Leiyin and her Stepmother, and eventually Leiyin and her husband and daughter.
An amazing novel that I couldn't recommend enough!
Reread (December 2018)
Just as amazing as every other time I've read it - this time I really looked for the Chinese history and culture because it was my first time going into it with some background on these things
Reread (December 2017)
Every time I pick up this book to reread, I'm always TERRIFIED I won't love it as much as before.
And every time I pick up this book I'm overwhelmingly happy to discover I still love it as much as the last time.
I also love that every time I read this I find new things - eventually every single page is going to have a tab on it!
This time around I noticed even more about the chinese culture and history that I only vaguely knew about last year, and also found I could understand Leiyin so much more this time around. She really is such a brat at the beginning of the story, but this time I found myself understanding why she wanted to defy her father and why she so strongly argued for her independence and freedom to go to school. Education is such an important thing that many take for granted nowadays.
I also found myself wavering on my feelings for Hanchin. I love Hanchin, don't get me wrong, but in previous readings I always thought of him as the bad guy you were mean to love - but this time I really REALLY understood how absolutely horrible of a person he is (do I still love him? yeah, but I also now get why he's so awful lol I'm like Leiyin in this sense. Even when I know how bad he is I still love him).
Also a big question arose for me this time, which I'm surprised I didn't think of in my first several readings, but I think it probably has to do with me realizing how bad Hanchin is :
Also this might be SUCH a weird thing to think about, but more and more people (my friends, my subscribers, and just other people in general) are reading this book and I can't help but be like bUT YOU DON'T GET IT when they talk about their feelings. Leiyin and Baizhen and Gaoyin and Sueyin and Hanchin are all just so incredibly real to me, they feel like old friends I've known for ages. When other people read this book it feels like when you introduce your best friend from childhood to your new college/work friend and they don't like each other lol I don't know why but that was a very strong feeling of mine this reread - I felt like I was coming home to old friends, which I actually understand the feeling now after being in college for two years.
But, overall, I'll never not love this book and every single character. This time around I also found my heart aching and feeling horrible for Teinzhen who echoed the horrible drug problem that affects even people who I know who are dealing with addiction, and my love for Baizhen grew even more - I just want to wrap him in a blanket and shield him from all the badness of the world.
I obviously recommend this, and below is a book summary and my previous thoughts on it!
Reread (October 2016):
I swear I fall more and more in love with this novel everytime I read it. Since this was my third time reading fully through it (though, with how often I pick it up and read certain sections of it, I've probably read it about five or six times tbh) I let myself really focus on the background stories and characters, and not just the plot that was slapping you in the face because honestly this book is just so incredibly complex and wonderful.
On this runthrough, I realized how much I really dislike Leiyin through several parts of this story - sure, she ends up in my good graces by the time the book finishes, but there are just so many times I found myself hating her. like I said, I allowed myself to focus much more on smaller things in this novel upon this reread, and one of those was the character of Baizhen. Because we're reading from Leiyin's POV, the past few times I've read it through, I was definitely influenced by her internal monologue - looking at her father and Baizhen as the "bad guys" because they held her back from going to university and living the life she wanted. But wow, Baizhen legit did nothing wrong. He is such a sweet, pure little cinnamon roll who really didn't deserve how mean and awful Leiyin was to him. Most of my tabs I included in my copy of this book during this read through were of him and how adorable and sweet he is - and when I got angry at Leiyin for being so mean.
Of course, saying that, I still love the character of Hanchin. I can't not, I don't know why, because he really is the "bad guy" of this novel but he's just so incredibly complex and interesting - and of course he's the driving factor of this entire novel.
Also, reading this novel after reading many other Japanese/Chinese/Korean novels was much more... fulfilling? I'm not sure what word I'm thinking of, but it made me appreciate how this novel is formatted and what themes it brings up and how everything sort of happens. Asian literature and asian authors really do have a unique way of telling their stories - at least to me, whose read white men and women her entire life growing up until recently. Reading more diverse novels this past year really helped me to appreciate this novel even more.
Also I might redo my original review because I feel like it's just not an amazing summary - it's pretty short, and I apparently originally thought the ending of this novel was unfulfilling wHICH IS JUST WRONG 16 YEAR OLD KATE, but oh well, we'll see, I don't wanna tamper too much with my original thoughts.
But, yeah, obviously incredible, can't wait to read Janie's new book coming out in January 2017!!!
ReRead (July 2015):
Just as amazing the second time reading it. It was so nice getting to read this and look for little things that I hadn't seen or understood before. Like, I feel like I really appreciated the politics of this novel a lot more this time around due to actually understanding what was happening since we learned about it in History this past year; I really appreciated how much history was truly woven into it. I also got to focus so much more on smaller characters, like Old Kwan and Dali and Little Ming. This novel is just everything to me, it's so incredibly amazing and I absolutely adore it. I feel like I've got most of my feelings in my first reading review (below) because obviously I still ADORE this novel and it' still my ALL TIME FAVORITE EVER. I mostly enjoyed this read through more because of the little things I noticed and truly understanding the history behind it. I also got to mark important things and my favorite parts throughout it, which is always nice!
First Read (April 2014):
I honestly don't know if I'll be able to express how much I loved this book. It was incredibly unique and took you through a world where not many people honestly care to venture through. Set in China during the 1930's, this novel takes you through the memories of Leiyin, a young girl who has died and must discover the reason she hasn't been allowed to continue on to the after life. She gets to watch her life from the age of seventeen, until her death, play out in front of her. She watches the mistakes she made unravel and she realizes exactly how she would have relived her life if she got the chance. The betrayals, old-fashioned traditions and the love Leiyin felt throughout her life truly made this book incredible.
(spoilers from here)
The character of Hanchin was one that I just wanted to scream at Leiyin for being so stupid about. As a young girl she meets the incredibly handsome poet and translator at a party, and from then on is captivated. The entire story is set in motion because of him. If he hadn't come into her life Leiyin wouldn't have tried to run away, she wouldn't have been married off at random, and she wouldn't have died so suddenly.
And you've got to feel bad for Leiyin's husband, Baizhen, who all he did was care for her and love her, and in return Leiyin cheats on him when Hanchin randomly comes back into her life.
I could go on and on about each character - Leiyin's sister and their husbands, her eldest brother, her second brother who was the nastiest, most traitorous fiend in the book - but you'll find out about them for yourself when you read this book.
The end of the novel was... a bit unfulfilling but I didn't feel like it could have ended any other way. You basically know that Leiyin finally gets to go to Heaven, but the way Janie Chang writes it, it allows for the reader to delve into the recesses of their own imagination, and I absolutely love books that do that (to an extent. If a novel just doesn't end at all and has tons of loose ends, it's not good.)
I would recommend this to anyone in high school and up - I truly think any adult would be able to appreciate thing book, as well as more-mature teenagers. I can honestly say it's one of my favorite books and I'm going to make sure everyone I know borrows my copy so they can enjoy it too!
March 16, 2020
5 stars - Utterly amazing.
Beautiful, unique, haunting, and utterly memorable are the best ways I could describe this story. Set primarily in the early 1930's in China, the narrator is a young Chinese woman who has recently died. She is stuck in limbo and needs to make amends for her sins in order to proceed to her afterlife. Her companions are her three souls - Yin, Yang, and Hun, each with their own distinct personality and opinions. Together they review her life and decisions that she made, and try to figure out how she can atone for the consequences of her choices in life. This unusual form of story-telling was vaguely reminiscent of Scrooge and his introspection from interacting with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
It was wonderful watching the main character grow from a naive girl that is a fool for love into a strong woman, determined to provide the best life possible for her child. Again, I have read a novel that reminds me of how blessed I am as a woman to live in current times. How heartbreaking it must have been to belong first to your father and then to your husband, with little to no say in the path you would follow in life.
Long story short, one of the best debut novels I have read in a long time. Highly recommend this one as I found it to be refreshing, thoughtful, and entirely satisfying. I am certain that I will find myself still thinking of this tale months from now.
------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: I knew everything that was expected of a wife and daughter-in-law. I knew it in my bones the way I knew the brushstrokes that composed my name, the poetry I memorized to please my father, the lush scents of our rose garden in July. It was just that until now I had never believed this would actually define my life.
First Sentences: We have three souls, or so I'd been told. But only in death could I confirm this.
Beautiful, unique, haunting, and utterly memorable are the best ways I could describe this story. Set primarily in the early 1930's in China, the narrator is a young Chinese woman who has recently died. She is stuck in limbo and needs to make amends for her sins in order to proceed to her afterlife. Her companions are her three souls - Yin, Yang, and Hun, each with their own distinct personality and opinions. Together they review her life and decisions that she made, and try to figure out how she can atone for the consequences of her choices in life. This unusual form of story-telling was vaguely reminiscent of Scrooge and his introspection from interacting with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
It was wonderful watching the main character grow from a naive girl that is a fool for love into a strong woman, determined to provide the best life possible for her child. Again, I have read a novel that reminds me of how blessed I am as a woman to live in current times. How heartbreaking it must have been to belong first to your father and then to your husband, with little to no say in the path you would follow in life.
Long story short, one of the best debut novels I have read in a long time. Highly recommend this one as I found it to be refreshing, thoughtful, and entirely satisfying. I am certain that I will find myself still thinking of this tale months from now.
------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: I knew everything that was expected of a wife and daughter-in-law. I knew it in my bones the way I knew the brushstrokes that composed my name, the poetry I memorized to please my father, the lush scents of our rose garden in July. It was just that until now I had never believed this would actually define my life.
First Sentences: We have three souls, or so I'd been told. But only in death could I confirm this.
October 2, 2013
Can’t stop thinking about this book.
It’s 1935 China and the story opens with the ghost of a young woman watching her own funeral. Leiyin can’t remember her past, but she knows she should be in the Afterlife, not still here on this earth. Despite such a beginning, this is not a ghost story, not yet. It’s a historical novel, narrated by a ghost as she watches her memories unfold up to the day of her death to learn how she died and what crime she committed. The three souls of the title belong to Leiyin, and they are her companions as she relives her memories, offering up comments that range from sympathetic to acerbic, which I found a very original way of presenting the past. Once Leiyin remembers her life, she must find a way to redeem herself or she will be trapped forever on this earth and end up as an insane hungry ghost. The novel is well-paced and well-written, with twists and surprises that all fit together by the end. The prose and descriptions immerse you totally in the world of the novel, when China was a mish-mash of East and West. Some women entered university and others entered arranged marriages. It was a turbulent and fascinating time in Chinese history, when nobody could predict what would happen socially and politically. The final part of the book unexpectedly broadens the themes of the story, and I found the ending both beautiful and satisfying.
I kept thinking about story whenever I had to put it down to do other things. It’s been a long time since that happened with a book.
It’s 1935 China and the story opens with the ghost of a young woman watching her own funeral. Leiyin can’t remember her past, but she knows she should be in the Afterlife, not still here on this earth. Despite such a beginning, this is not a ghost story, not yet. It’s a historical novel, narrated by a ghost as she watches her memories unfold up to the day of her death to learn how she died and what crime she committed. The three souls of the title belong to Leiyin, and they are her companions as she relives her memories, offering up comments that range from sympathetic to acerbic, which I found a very original way of presenting the past. Once Leiyin remembers her life, she must find a way to redeem herself or she will be trapped forever on this earth and end up as an insane hungry ghost. The novel is well-paced and well-written, with twists and surprises that all fit together by the end. The prose and descriptions immerse you totally in the world of the novel, when China was a mish-mash of East and West. Some women entered university and others entered arranged marriages. It was a turbulent and fascinating time in Chinese history, when nobody could predict what would happen socially and politically. The final part of the book unexpectedly broadens the themes of the story, and I found the ending both beautiful and satisfying.
I kept thinking about story whenever I had to put it down to do other things. It’s been a long time since that happened with a book.
July 27, 2015
Three souls is a work of historical fiction and is a debut novel of Janie Chang. I read some great reviews of this book from readers who I closely follow on Goodreads and the Booktube community. Despite having read some amazing things about this book; I took quite a time to pick it up and read it. And this book offered more than I expected.
Book Cover
The cover is beautiful and this time I did not really pay much attention to the cover as I had read some amazing reviews about this book and I could not let the cover put me off. And the cover is pretty, so I could work with that!
Plot
This is really difficult to talk about. The plot has so much and I am not even sure how to even start writing about it. Also, I do not want to give away a lot as the readers should go into this book without knowing much and discover the twists and turns that are offered by the author. So, I will be a little brief on this one.
The story is about a young woman named Leiyin or rather - her ghost. The story begins with Leiyin watching her own funeral and she is wondering why is she here if she is dead? Isn't she supposed to be making a journey to her afterlife? Also, she is not alone but with her are three souls - Yang, Yin and Hun. The three take Leiyin through her life and she is told by the souls that she has done something wrong and must make amends to continue her journey to afterlife. Failing to do so, Leiyin will be stuck on this planet forever as an insane hungry ghost.
So, the journey begins where we see Leiyin through her different phases of life. We see her as a teenager who is privileged and impulsive. China is burning under the Civil War and there is fight between the nationalists and the communists. We see Leiyin falling in love with Hanchin, a captivating left-wing poet and translator of Anna Karenina. We see her fighting with her father to pursue her education to become a teacher in future but she is dismissed as a girl's worth is not measured by her education but the size of her dowry. Her disobedience leads to an unwanted marriage to a man who is almost illiterate. She finds herself living in house where the money is always scarce and in a town that is far away from her parents and her sisters.
She has to make amends and she does not have enough time. She needs to find how to atone her sins or else she will be stuck here forever.
Characters
The characters of this book along with the plot are full of surprises. I cannot find a way to describe how I feel about these characters and whether they are good or bad. Because each character in this book is so flawed and no one is perfect.
The protagonist, Leiyin would be one of the most fallacious characters I ever read about. There were times when I questioned her decisions and disliked her. The secondary characters too are selfish and do wrongs without thinking much about the repercussions. No character in this book is nowhere near perfect. The only character I really felt for is Leiyin's husband and her stepmother.
This book has characters that you will often dislike as they are so impaired. The characters portray the human weakness to do wrongs, the weakness to give into their desires and taking decisions that only benefit self and not caring how one's deeds might hurt others. We often tend to close our eyes to the bitter truth of the selfish nature of humans - but it exists and often drive the decisions of an individual. This book and its characters open your eyes to this truth.
What I like
Everything! For this book, I did not immediately started writing a review once I was done with it. I took a day to process the beauty and the story of this book. It is simply a mesmerizing piece of work and leaves you in awe. The plot, the twist and turns, its ability to hold your interest throughout and of course its far-from-perfect characters - every single thing about this book leaves you speechless.
The writing is captivating - simple yet beautiful. This is Janie Chang debut novel and I can't wait to read more from her. Be it the writing or the story and again my favorite and according to me the best part of the book - its characters - everything has been carved so beautifully by the author that you can't praise her enough.
What I did not like
Nothing! This book is perfect from start to end.
My final thoughts on the book
This is one of the best debut novels I have read in a long time, the last being The Help. The Help is Kathryn Stockett's debut novel and the book and its writing left me completely in awe.
Three Souls is a book that will stay with me for a long time to come and will always be close to my heart. It is definitely going in my best-books-I-ever-read list of books. It is one of the rare books that I would like to re-read.I learned a great deal about the society that prevailed in China during the civil war. And I can't help but be thankful that I live in the current society where women now do have the freedom to study and have liberty to make decisions. But, still there are places where many woman go through the same miseries that women face in this book which is set in China in 1930's. Its disheartening but true.
I would summarize by saying that Three Souls is unique, haunting, beautiful and unforgettable. A book that cannot be missed.
Highly recommended to all the readers!
Read this and my other book reviews here: www.book-choose.com
Book Cover
The cover is beautiful and this time I did not really pay much attention to the cover as I had read some amazing reviews about this book and I could not let the cover put me off. And the cover is pretty, so I could work with that!
Plot
This is really difficult to talk about. The plot has so much and I am not even sure how to even start writing about it. Also, I do not want to give away a lot as the readers should go into this book without knowing much and discover the twists and turns that are offered by the author. So, I will be a little brief on this one.
The story is about a young woman named Leiyin or rather - her ghost. The story begins with Leiyin watching her own funeral and she is wondering why is she here if she is dead? Isn't she supposed to be making a journey to her afterlife? Also, she is not alone but with her are three souls - Yang, Yin and Hun. The three take Leiyin through her life and she is told by the souls that she has done something wrong and must make amends to continue her journey to afterlife. Failing to do so, Leiyin will be stuck on this planet forever as an insane hungry ghost.
So, the journey begins where we see Leiyin through her different phases of life. We see her as a teenager who is privileged and impulsive. China is burning under the Civil War and there is fight between the nationalists and the communists. We see Leiyin falling in love with Hanchin, a captivating left-wing poet and translator of Anna Karenina. We see her fighting with her father to pursue her education to become a teacher in future but she is dismissed as a girl's worth is not measured by her education but the size of her dowry. Her disobedience leads to an unwanted marriage to a man who is almost illiterate. She finds herself living in house where the money is always scarce and in a town that is far away from her parents and her sisters.
She has to make amends and she does not have enough time. She needs to find how to atone her sins or else she will be stuck here forever.
Characters
The characters of this book along with the plot are full of surprises. I cannot find a way to describe how I feel about these characters and whether they are good or bad. Because each character in this book is so flawed and no one is perfect.
The protagonist, Leiyin would be one of the most fallacious characters I ever read about. There were times when I questioned her decisions and disliked her. The secondary characters too are selfish and do wrongs without thinking much about the repercussions. No character in this book is nowhere near perfect. The only character I really felt for is Leiyin's husband and her stepmother.
This book has characters that you will often dislike as they are so impaired. The characters portray the human weakness to do wrongs, the weakness to give into their desires and taking decisions that only benefit self and not caring how one's deeds might hurt others. We often tend to close our eyes to the bitter truth of the selfish nature of humans - but it exists and often drive the decisions of an individual. This book and its characters open your eyes to this truth.
What I like
Everything! For this book, I did not immediately started writing a review once I was done with it. I took a day to process the beauty and the story of this book. It is simply a mesmerizing piece of work and leaves you in awe. The plot, the twist and turns, its ability to hold your interest throughout and of course its far-from-perfect characters - every single thing about this book leaves you speechless.
The writing is captivating - simple yet beautiful. This is Janie Chang debut novel and I can't wait to read more from her. Be it the writing or the story and again my favorite and according to me the best part of the book - its characters - everything has been carved so beautifully by the author that you can't praise her enough.
What I did not like
Nothing! This book is perfect from start to end.
My final thoughts on the book
This is one of the best debut novels I have read in a long time, the last being The Help. The Help is Kathryn Stockett's debut novel and the book and its writing left me completely in awe.
Three Souls is a book that will stay with me for a long time to come and will always be close to my heart. It is definitely going in my best-books-I-ever-read list of books. It is one of the rare books that I would like to re-read.I learned a great deal about the society that prevailed in China during the civil war. And I can't help but be thankful that I live in the current society where women now do have the freedom to study and have liberty to make decisions. But, still there are places where many woman go through the same miseries that women face in this book which is set in China in 1930's. Its disheartening but true.
I would summarize by saying that Three Souls is unique, haunting, beautiful and unforgettable. A book that cannot be missed.
Highly recommended to all the readers!
Read this and my other book reviews here: www.book-choose.com
August 4, 2017
3.5 - rounded down.
Leiyin is dead. This we know at paragraph one. She is caught between the afterlife and the world, and she is in the company of her three souls, yang, yin and hu. She does not remember her life (nor do the souls), but they all know there is something she must atone for before she can proceed to the afterlife and reincarnation. So, bit by bit, she views her life as the events unfolded and remembers each event as it occurred. She also wrestles with the dilemma of how to correct anything she has done, given her current state of being makes her unable to interact directly with anyone alive.
The story had me from the beginning, in wanting to see how Leiyin’s life ended in her so early death and what mistakes a girl could have made that would be so serious in that short length of time. The characters are intriguing but sometimes seem mildly unrealistic, and several of them are too one-dimensional to arouse any feeling whatsoever (a little to Snidely Whiplash for my tastes). Additionally there is the magical aspect of looking back over a life, which is more of a barrier than a facilitator for me. There is political intrigue, as the communists are rising in China and the Japanese are encroaching as well, which adds another level of urgency and importance to the characters behaviors. Leiyin encounters both love and lust, and as young girls often do, confuses the two. Her struggles are the kind that can come to every life, with both good and bad existing side-by-side. She misunderstands people and their motives, she fails to appreciate and respect her family and others who are good to her, she takes for granted kindnesses and privileges, she allows herself to be duped unnecessarily, and she suffers from rebellion and ambition. But, she is basically a good person and our sympathies are with her in her inability to move beyond the world she is no longer allowed to be a part of.
The device of the souls was a bit irritating to me in the beginning; I wanted the story to move in a linear fashion without the interruptions. However, as the story progressed, I came to understand how they made some aspects of revelation possible that would not have been possible otherwise. I enjoyed the story and found the ending satisfactory. I would classify this as a novel that is all in good fun, however, and not one that has anything profound to say. Taking into account that this is a first novel, I think Janie Chang has potential. I might try her again someday.
Leiyin is dead. This we know at paragraph one. She is caught between the afterlife and the world, and she is in the company of her three souls, yang, yin and hu. She does not remember her life (nor do the souls), but they all know there is something she must atone for before she can proceed to the afterlife and reincarnation. So, bit by bit, she views her life as the events unfolded and remembers each event as it occurred. She also wrestles with the dilemma of how to correct anything she has done, given her current state of being makes her unable to interact directly with anyone alive.
The story had me from the beginning, in wanting to see how Leiyin’s life ended in her so early death and what mistakes a girl could have made that would be so serious in that short length of time. The characters are intriguing but sometimes seem mildly unrealistic, and several of them are too one-dimensional to arouse any feeling whatsoever (a little to Snidely Whiplash for my tastes). Additionally there is the magical aspect of looking back over a life, which is more of a barrier than a facilitator for me. There is political intrigue, as the communists are rising in China and the Japanese are encroaching as well, which adds another level of urgency and importance to the characters behaviors. Leiyin encounters both love and lust, and as young girls often do, confuses the two. Her struggles are the kind that can come to every life, with both good and bad existing side-by-side. She misunderstands people and their motives, she fails to appreciate and respect her family and others who are good to her, she takes for granted kindnesses and privileges, she allows herself to be duped unnecessarily, and she suffers from rebellion and ambition. But, she is basically a good person and our sympathies are with her in her inability to move beyond the world she is no longer allowed to be a part of.
The device of the souls was a bit irritating to me in the beginning; I wanted the story to move in a linear fashion without the interruptions. However, as the story progressed, I came to understand how they made some aspects of revelation possible that would not have been possible otherwise. I enjoyed the story and found the ending satisfactory. I would classify this as a novel that is all in good fun, however, and not one that has anything profound to say. Taking into account that this is a first novel, I think Janie Chang has potential. I might try her again someday.
July 26, 2013
Leiyin has died. Her ghost, along with the manifestations of her three souls, watches her funeral and burial. Yet Leiyin does not seem able to go to her afterlife. Her souls tell her this is because of a sin she has committed, but doesn’t remember. So Leiyin’s memory turns back to when she was a 15 year old girl. It is 1928. Civil War rages in China. Leiyin, the youngest daughter of a wealthy, important businessman is spoiled and selfish. She has just read Anna Karenina. She has just met the revolutionary poet Yen Hanchin. Her fate is sealed. I loved this book. A nice quiet read (I read a lot of thrillers) with shades of Tolstoy and Shakespeare, a good dollop of history and a likeable/unlikeable protagonist! It will be a great book club book I’m sure!
November 3, 2014
Read my full review: http://bit.ly/1jCKB0k
My opinion: To call this book amazing is not giving it enough credit. There was just something just hauntingly beautiful, on so many levels, about this book.
The author wrote characters and a setting which were so strong that I felt like I was there. The storyline, which was set in the beginning of Communist China , gives an engrossing description of the status of women and their struggles for identity.
I started off with a egalley of this book, but ended up waiting for it to come out in print form before finishing. This was one of those books that I think my entertainment of the book was enhanced by having the feeling of pages between my fingers.
This is the author's debut and I can't wait to read more from her.
My opinion: To call this book amazing is not giving it enough credit. There was just something just hauntingly beautiful, on so many levels, about this book.
The author wrote characters and a setting which were so strong that I felt like I was there. The storyline, which was set in the beginning of Communist China , gives an engrossing description of the status of women and their struggles for identity.
I started off with a egalley of this book, but ended up waiting for it to come out in print form before finishing. This was one of those books that I think my entertainment of the book was enhanced by having the feeling of pages between my fingers.
This is the author's debut and I can't wait to read more from her.
October 3, 2013
Just finished Janie's Chang's exceptional novel. It's mischievous, original, full of history and a page-turner. This is a very talented author. I'm stoked that she'll be on the IFOA panel I'm moderating on November 3rd, 1pm at Harbourfront.
October 19, 2023
Atsaucoties uz ķīniešu filozofiju, katram cilvēkam kopā ir 3 dvēseles - yin, yang un hun. Šis stāsts sākas ar galvenās varones - Leiyin - bērēm, kuras viņa pati vēro no malas kopā ar savām trim dvēselēm. Leiyin savas vainas dēļ ir mirusi pāragri, dzīves laikā noejot no sev paredzētā ceļa. Pirmās divas grāmatas daļas fokusējas uz viņas dzīves stāstu no tā brīža, kad visas nepatikšanas sākās - Leiyin ir jāatceras un jāsaprot, ko viņa izdarīja nepareizi, un jāmēģina vērst lietas par labu (ko viņa dara trešajā grāmatas daļā), lai varētu doties tālāk aizsaulē, citādi viņa mūžīgi paliks starp dzīvajiem un art laiku zaudēs prātu, tādējādi kļūstot par neprātīgu un atriebīgu garu.
Īsumā - pie visām viņas dzīvē pieļautajām kļūdām ir vainīgs viens izskatīgs un manipulatīvs džeks, kura dēļ viņa savas citādi inteliģentās smadzenes izmeta miskastē, lai darītu pilnīgas muļķības.
Kopumā stāsts bija ievelkošs, jo man ļoti interesēja, kā tad viņa sevi tik agri noveda līdz kapa malai. Grāmata fokusējas uz pagājušā gadsimta pirmās puses Ķīnā dzīvojošo sieviešu problēmām, un, lai gan Leiyin nāk no pārtikušas ģimenes, viņa tomēr saskaras ar daudzām sievietēm zināmām problēmām. Brīžos, kad viņa bija spējīga izmantot savu prātu, Leiyin rūpējās par savas meitas nākotni un uztraucas par ģimenes finasēm, izdzīvošanu un tamlīzīgām lietām. Papildus tam viņas pirmā ģimene sastāvēja no vēl citām interesantām sievietēm - dažas pašas ņēma grožus savās rokās un, neraugoties uz vīriešu uzstādītajiem noteikumiem, dzīvoja savu dzīvi, tikmēr citas uzmanīgi aiz vīriešu mugurām rūpējās par savu meitu nākotnēm. Stāstā ir arī ļoti daudz vientulības laikā, kad sieviete bija ieslēgta savās mājās ar bērniem, prom no savas dzimtās ģimenes, svešā pilsētā bez draugiem. Tas noteikti bija galvenais faktors, kas lika šai sievietei divreiz uzkāpt uz tā paša grābekļa.
Ja neskaita kaitinošos brīžus, kad Leiyin uzvedas kā pilnīga idiote, grāmata ir laba. Nedaudz drūma un smagnēja, bet noteikti iesaku, ja tēma uzrunā.
Īsumā - pie visām viņas dzīvē pieļautajām kļūdām ir vainīgs viens izskatīgs un manipulatīvs džeks, kura dēļ viņa savas citādi inteliģentās smadzenes izmeta miskastē, lai darītu pilnīgas muļķības.
Kopumā stāsts bija ievelkošs, jo man ļoti interesēja, kā tad viņa sevi tik agri noveda līdz kapa malai. Grāmata fokusējas uz pagājušā gadsimta pirmās puses Ķīnā dzīvojošo sieviešu problēmām, un, lai gan Leiyin nāk no pārtikušas ģimenes, viņa tomēr saskaras ar daudzām sievietēm zināmām problēmām. Brīžos, kad viņa bija spējīga izmantot savu prātu, Leiyin rūpējās par savas meitas nākotni un uztraucas par ģimenes finasēm, izdzīvošanu un tamlīzīgām lietām. Papildus tam viņas pirmā ģimene sastāvēja no vēl citām interesantām sievietēm - dažas pašas ņēma grožus savās rokās un, neraugoties uz vīriešu uzstādītajiem noteikumiem, dzīvoja savu dzīvi, tikmēr citas uzmanīgi aiz vīriešu mugurām rūpējās par savu meitu nākotnēm. Stāstā ir arī ļoti daudz vientulības laikā, kad sieviete bija ieslēgta savās mājās ar bērniem, prom no savas dzimtās ģimenes, svešā pilsētā bez draugiem. Tas noteikti bija galvenais faktors, kas lika šai sievietei divreiz uzkāpt uz tā paša grābekļa.
Ja neskaita kaitinošos brīžus, kad Leiyin uzvedas kā pilnīga idiote, grāmata ir laba. Nedaudz drūma un smagnēja, bet noteikti iesaku, ja tēma uzrunā.
October 7, 2014
First-time novelist Janie Chang deploys an intriguing literary treatment that is effective and engaging. Leiyin, the main character is dead and she’s watching her own funeral and the mourning of her six-year old daughter and husband from high above as she’s being buried. As the priests finish their chanting, she encounters three bright sparks and realizes that these are her three souls – the yin, the yang and the hun – who inform her that her ascendancy into the afterlife ready for reincarnation cannot happen until she makes good on the wrong she’s done in her real life. Thus begins an artfully crafted novel that takes us back in time to Leiyin’s life and we learn of her family, her love of books, her strong personality, her desire to pursue higher education, her crush on a handsome, left-wing writer and translator that leads her into dangerous political waters – all to be squashed as she defies her father and pays the ultimate price – being married off to an uneducated man in Pinghu, a small town south of Shanghai. The dialogue is seamless between Leiyin and her three souls as the story unfolds taking Leiyin back in time; at the same time the “dead” Leiyin watches herself from afar with her three souls and provides colorful commentary on how the young Leiyin handles herself and others involved in Leiyin’s life – it’s essentially “Monday night quarterbacking” on one’s past life – an intriguing phenomenon many of us do anyway but not with the luxury of real-time review. I found this writing technique rather brilliant and effective. Loved the easy banter between the three souls as well - it made them almost human!
I won’t be surprised if there’s a second novel which will be about Leiyin’s daughter Weilan. Prior to the epilogue..here's Leiyin's ruminations: “And yet. And yet…That’s how I know there’s more to do….Weilan’s life is still in danger.”
While Three Souls is historical fiction set in pre-World War II, Chang based many of the characters in her book on family members, particularly her grandparents and great-grandparents. Her paternal grandmother was the model for Leiyin, the main character in the book. Like Leiyin, Chang’s paternal grandmother was from a wealthy and well-educated family and trapped in the fettered chains of traditional Chinese culture and social norms – where women were bartered in exchange for dowries and marriages, leading them to lives of service to their husbands and in-laws. An engaging book that helps us understand the life and times of pre-World War China and the social, cultural and political turmoil that accompanied those times. The common Chinese belief of afterlife and the impacts of how a good life led on earth influences what and how one is reincarnated in the next life is the foundation of this absorbing and rather amazing first-time novel. (P.S. - I keep thinking of additional comments...this is a great book for a book group discussion - plenty of meaty topics to sink your teeth into.)
I won’t be surprised if there’s a second novel which will be about Leiyin’s daughter Weilan. Prior to the epilogue..here's Leiyin's ruminations: “And yet. And yet…That’s how I know there’s more to do….Weilan’s life is still in danger.”
While Three Souls is historical fiction set in pre-World War II, Chang based many of the characters in her book on family members, particularly her grandparents and great-grandparents. Her paternal grandmother was the model for Leiyin, the main character in the book. Like Leiyin, Chang’s paternal grandmother was from a wealthy and well-educated family and trapped in the fettered chains of traditional Chinese culture and social norms – where women were bartered in exchange for dowries and marriages, leading them to lives of service to their husbands and in-laws. An engaging book that helps us understand the life and times of pre-World War China and the social, cultural and political turmoil that accompanied those times. The common Chinese belief of afterlife and the impacts of how a good life led on earth influences what and how one is reincarnated in the next life is the foundation of this absorbing and rather amazing first-time novel. (P.S. - I keep thinking of additional comments...this is a great book for a book group discussion - plenty of meaty topics to sink your teeth into.)
June 29, 2022
This book is 5/5 stars and more.
It is for sure one of my top favorite novels that I had read so far. I really loved this dreamy spirit world that the book built. It was fantastic. The characters were reasonable. And the plot was Magnificent. It was beyond my expectation. I highly recommend it.
The book was fast-paced. And it is been told from the eye of our protagonist (Leiyan).
At the beginning of the novel, we’re watching over a funeral with our main protagonist (Leiyan) accompanied by her three souls (Yin, Yang, and Hun). For Leiyan to move on to her next life, she must relive and remedy her biggest mistake in her life. The novel is formatted in a way that we could relive and see the memories of our main character who since she passed away doesn’t know what actually happened. We also experience the present where she is reacting and responding with her three souls. Trying to figure out what killed her and what she needs to do to pass on to the next life.
I’ll conclude my review with what’s written on the back of the cover for more insight.
“We have three souls, or so I'd been told. But only in death could I confirm this ...
So begins the haunting and captivating tale, set in 1935 China, of the ghost of a young woman named Leiyin, who watches her own funeral from above and wonders why she is being denied entry to the afterlife. Beside her are three souls—stern and scholarly yang; impulsive, romantic yin; and wise, shining hun—who will guide her toward understanding. She must, they tell her, make amends.
As Leiyin delves back in time with the three souls to review her life, she sees the spoiled and privileged teenager she once was, a girl who is concerned with her own desires while China is fractured by civil war and social upheaval. At a party, she meets Hanchin, a captivating left-wing poet and translator, and instantly falls in love with him.
When Leiyin defies her father to pursue Hanchin, she learns the harsh truth—that she is powerless over her fate. Her punishment for disobedience leads to exile, an unwanted marriage, a pregnancy, and, ultimately, her death. And when she discovers what she must do to be released from limbo into the afterlife, Leiyin realizes that the time for making amends is shorter than she thought.
Suffused with history and literature, Three Souls is an epic tale of revenge and betrayal, forbidden love, and the price we are willing to pay for freedom.“
It is for sure one of my top favorite novels that I had read so far. I really loved this dreamy spirit world that the book built. It was fantastic. The characters were reasonable. And the plot was Magnificent. It was beyond my expectation. I highly recommend it.
The book was fast-paced. And it is been told from the eye of our protagonist (Leiyan).
At the beginning of the novel, we’re watching over a funeral with our main protagonist (Leiyan) accompanied by her three souls (Yin, Yang, and Hun). For Leiyan to move on to her next life, she must relive and remedy her biggest mistake in her life. The novel is formatted in a way that we could relive and see the memories of our main character who since she passed away doesn’t know what actually happened. We also experience the present where she is reacting and responding with her three souls. Trying to figure out what killed her and what she needs to do to pass on to the next life.
I’ll conclude my review with what’s written on the back of the cover for more insight.
“We have three souls, or so I'd been told. But only in death could I confirm this ...
So begins the haunting and captivating tale, set in 1935 China, of the ghost of a young woman named Leiyin, who watches her own funeral from above and wonders why she is being denied entry to the afterlife. Beside her are three souls—stern and scholarly yang; impulsive, romantic yin; and wise, shining hun—who will guide her toward understanding. She must, they tell her, make amends.
As Leiyin delves back in time with the three souls to review her life, she sees the spoiled and privileged teenager she once was, a girl who is concerned with her own desires while China is fractured by civil war and social upheaval. At a party, she meets Hanchin, a captivating left-wing poet and translator, and instantly falls in love with him.
When Leiyin defies her father to pursue Hanchin, she learns the harsh truth—that she is powerless over her fate. Her punishment for disobedience leads to exile, an unwanted marriage, a pregnancy, and, ultimately, her death. And when she discovers what she must do to be released from limbo into the afterlife, Leiyin realizes that the time for making amends is shorter than she thought.
Suffused with history and literature, Three Souls is an epic tale of revenge and betrayal, forbidden love, and the price we are willing to pay for freedom.“
March 22, 2017
Despite being narrated by the ghost of a recently deceased young woman, I wouldn't call this a ghost story. It's a historical novel set during the political upheaval of revolutionary China in the 1920s-30s. Song Leiyin, the third daughter of a prominent family, watches her funeral as a ghost, unable to move on to the afterlife or to remember how she died. She is told by the manifestations of her three souls that she can't move on to the afterlife until she atones for the sins of her mortal life. Unable to remember what these sins were, Leiyin accompanied by her souls begins to relive her memories to find out what she needs to do, reflecting on the decisions, events and consequences of her life. This unusual way of presenting a story is effective, intriguing and thoughtful.
In my opinion, what makes a good historical novel is its sense of place. And the sense of place here is exquisite. This is a time of great change. Old and new values are in constant conflict. Leiyin is from a very traditional family, where women are expected to obediently follow the roles of daughter, wife and mother. As a young girl, Leiyin has very different ideas for her future, dreaming of continuing her education at university and becoming a teacher. We observe, along with Leiyin's ghost self, as she attempts to break these social constraints, for both right and wrong reasons. The reflective element of the narration demonstrates that although Leiyin is rightly frustrated at her lack of control over her life, her rebellion had consequences that she could never have imagined.
I guessed pretty much all of the "twists" in the plot and I suppose this shows that many of the consequences of Leiyin's actions were quite predictable. This is not necessarily a criticism of the book, however, as I think demonstrates how Leiyin as a naive young girl was so desperate for life to turn out exactly as she wanted that she could see the reality right in front of her. Something I think we are all guilty of. By the time she dies, Leiyin has developed into a mature, strong woman and can now accept the truth. By looking back, she can understand her life in a way she never did at the time and appreciate both the unfairness of her situation, as well as the fact that her life wasn't all bad and that she had a lot to be thankful for. This is something she was never able to appreciate while alive.
Although Leiyin's three souls (yin, yang and hun) have distinct personalities and opinions, I did feel this concept could have been built on further, or at least given more context. The three souls didn't feel like fully fleshed characters themselves (which I guess is hard to do for three non-entities..) and so I found myself a lot more interested in Leiyin's views on her life and the moral dilemmas she faces.
This is an excellent debut, one I first debated giving either 4 or 5 stars, but in the end had to bump up a star. I'm still thinking about it. Even if some very small parts of the novel that aren't quite as strong as the rest, I am still thinking about it books later. I can wholeheartedly recommend it, especially to lovers of historical fiction.
In my opinion, what makes a good historical novel is its sense of place. And the sense of place here is exquisite. This is a time of great change. Old and new values are in constant conflict. Leiyin is from a very traditional family, where women are expected to obediently follow the roles of daughter, wife and mother. As a young girl, Leiyin has very different ideas for her future, dreaming of continuing her education at university and becoming a teacher. We observe, along with Leiyin's ghost self, as she attempts to break these social constraints, for both right and wrong reasons. The reflective element of the narration demonstrates that although Leiyin is rightly frustrated at her lack of control over her life, her rebellion had consequences that she could never have imagined.
I guessed pretty much all of the "twists" in the plot and I suppose this shows that many of the consequences of Leiyin's actions were quite predictable. This is not necessarily a criticism of the book, however, as I think demonstrates how Leiyin as a naive young girl was so desperate for life to turn out exactly as she wanted that she could see the reality right in front of her. Something I think we are all guilty of. By the time she dies, Leiyin has developed into a mature, strong woman and can now accept the truth. By looking back, she can understand her life in a way she never did at the time and appreciate both the unfairness of her situation, as well as the fact that her life wasn't all bad and that she had a lot to be thankful for. This is something she was never able to appreciate while alive.
Although Leiyin's three souls (yin, yang and hun) have distinct personalities and opinions, I did feel this concept could have been built on further, or at least given more context. The three souls didn't feel like fully fleshed characters themselves (which I guess is hard to do for three non-entities..) and so I found myself a lot more interested in Leiyin's views on her life and the moral dilemmas she faces.
This is an excellent debut, one I first debated giving either 4 or 5 stars, but in the end had to bump up a star. I'm still thinking about it. Even if some very small parts of the novel that aren't quite as strong as the rest, I am still thinking about it books later. I can wholeheartedly recommend it, especially to lovers of historical fiction.
March 28, 2022
*4.5
wow..... this is really good. like, absolutely riveting.
this book perfectly captures the social and political climate in post-dynastic China. the 1920s was an uncertain and chaotic time for China, what with the Western powers, the civil war between Communists and Nationalists, and the imminent war with Japan. the atmosphere is amazingly vivid. the narrative voice is dynamic and, personally, i was never bored. i am impressed with the skills Chang has shown. the prose is straightforward yet beautiful; i was so immersed in the events that slowly unfolded. this book absorbed me right from the first chapter. i love it!
wow..... this is really good. like, absolutely riveting.
this book perfectly captures the social and political climate in post-dynastic China. the 1920s was an uncertain and chaotic time for China, what with the Western powers, the civil war between Communists and Nationalists, and the imminent war with Japan. the atmosphere is amazingly vivid. the narrative voice is dynamic and, personally, i was never bored. i am impressed with the skills Chang has shown. the prose is straightforward yet beautiful; i was so immersed in the events that slowly unfolded. this book absorbed me right from the first chapter. i love it!
October 16, 2017
Actual Ratings: 4.5
RTC
RTC
September 27, 2018
Hated the MC, therefore couldn’t enjoy the book.
January 20, 2014
THREE SOULS by Janie Chang is a novel set in a particular time in Chinese history. It begins as the protagonist, of the tale, Song Leiyin, "awakens" to discover that she has died but that she has remained earthbound. As she observes the ceremony that is her funeral she is accompanied by three sparks that represent her three separate souls. How she died and why her spirit remains trapped in a transitional limbo is the basis of this tale.
Set during the 1920's and 30's Leiyin's journey of self discovery takes the reader on a pilgrimage of sorts as we discover, along with Leiyin, exactly what led to her death and why she has remained behind rather than passing through "the pearly gates" and on to reincarnation. Her three souls, yin, yang and hun are a strange assortment with each representing a "voice" as well as oral sensations that assist Leiyin in her quest to atone for wrongs done and choices made during her short life.
The writing is lyrical and descriptive. I particularly appreciated how seamlessly the author wove together the themes of Chinese spiritual beliefs concerning after-life and reincarnation with folklore, cultural traditions, and devotion to family and friends, with the history of the external political forces that were at play during the early 20th century as the country and its people engaged in an internal conflict that raged over social change between the Nationalists and the Communists regimes.
For those who enjoy the wisdom and grace, illusions and truth conjured up in historical fiction by well known Asian writers like Amy Tan and Lisa See, newcomer Janie Chang is a writer that you should definitely investigate. THREE SOULS surely belongs in the company of work written by the aforementioned dynamic duo. Chang has drawn on limbs from her very own family tree to give her readers an authentic cast of characters and a personal perspective of the complexity of China and its people.
This is an ideal book club selection that offers a plethora of subject matter for discussion as well as a memorable and captivating reading experience.
Set during the 1920's and 30's Leiyin's journey of self discovery takes the reader on a pilgrimage of sorts as we discover, along with Leiyin, exactly what led to her death and why she has remained behind rather than passing through "the pearly gates" and on to reincarnation. Her three souls, yin, yang and hun are a strange assortment with each representing a "voice" as well as oral sensations that assist Leiyin in her quest to atone for wrongs done and choices made during her short life.
The writing is lyrical and descriptive. I particularly appreciated how seamlessly the author wove together the themes of Chinese spiritual beliefs concerning after-life and reincarnation with folklore, cultural traditions, and devotion to family and friends, with the history of the external political forces that were at play during the early 20th century as the country and its people engaged in an internal conflict that raged over social change between the Nationalists and the Communists regimes.
For those who enjoy the wisdom and grace, illusions and truth conjured up in historical fiction by well known Asian writers like Amy Tan and Lisa See, newcomer Janie Chang is a writer that you should definitely investigate. THREE SOULS surely belongs in the company of work written by the aforementioned dynamic duo. Chang has drawn on limbs from her very own family tree to give her readers an authentic cast of characters and a personal perspective of the complexity of China and its people.
This is an ideal book club selection that offers a plethora of subject matter for discussion as well as a memorable and captivating reading experience.
July 16, 2014
This is a book not to be appreciated for its literary merit, but for its simple language and straight-forward storytelling and for the history and culture it conveys.
Knowing that the acceptance of ancestral ghosts is prevalent in traditional Chinese culture makes it easier to accept the premise of this story. Leiyin, a young woman who has died, must rectify her faults and the ruin she's caused. She is accompanied by three souls - yin, yang, and hun. The setting is China during the tumultuous 30s. Chang incorporates this history so well it is not necessary to know of the political conflict between the Nationalists and the Communists or the role of Japan in China at this time. Leiyin is raised in the wealthy class, is immature, impeccably self-centered and impervious to her good fortune. And, she is infatuated with the wrong man and unable to truly love her husband. Her stern (tough love!) father, under strenuous circumstances, chooses a husband in a remote village to keep Leiyin from ruining her life. It is here that she dies and the story begins at her funeral as she watches her young daughter. Neither Leiyin or the reader knows her past. Both the reader and Leiyin learn of it through observation during the book's first two sections.
In the third section she acquires the ability to enter the dreams of her husband's household. Now I don't know about anyone else, but my dreams are never as realistic as the dreams of these characters. And I am not visited by people who have passed away giving me advice or imploring me to take action upon something. Personally, I just found this storytelling device irritating and less successful. But I went along with it because the story itself remained interesting and compelling.
If not for a handful of sex scenes, I would give this an a-okay for high school libraries. Every librarian who knows their population tolerates this should consider it for their collections. I highly recommend it to adults and young women who enjoy non-demanding fiction and reading about other cultures and world history.
Knowing that the acceptance of ancestral ghosts is prevalent in traditional Chinese culture makes it easier to accept the premise of this story. Leiyin, a young woman who has died, must rectify her faults and the ruin she's caused. She is accompanied by three souls - yin, yang, and hun. The setting is China during the tumultuous 30s. Chang incorporates this history so well it is not necessary to know of the political conflict between the Nationalists and the Communists or the role of Japan in China at this time. Leiyin is raised in the wealthy class, is immature, impeccably self-centered and impervious to her good fortune. And, she is infatuated with the wrong man and unable to truly love her husband. Her stern (tough love!) father, under strenuous circumstances, chooses a husband in a remote village to keep Leiyin from ruining her life. It is here that she dies and the story begins at her funeral as she watches her young daughter. Neither Leiyin or the reader knows her past. Both the reader and Leiyin learn of it through observation during the book's first two sections.
In the third section she acquires the ability to enter the dreams of her husband's household. Now I don't know about anyone else, but my dreams are never as realistic as the dreams of these characters. And I am not visited by people who have passed away giving me advice or imploring me to take action upon something. Personally, I just found this storytelling device irritating and less successful. But I went along with it because the story itself remained interesting and compelling.
If not for a handful of sex scenes, I would give this an a-okay for high school libraries. Every librarian who knows their population tolerates this should consider it for their collections. I highly recommend it to adults and young women who enjoy non-demanding fiction and reading about other cultures and world history.
October 16, 2024
“That’s the trouble when you’re young, my hun soul says. You think you have all the time in the world. You think the world will wait until you’re ready.”
.
.
Unlike what is expected, this novel begins at the funeral of the main character.
"Leiyan" sees her husband, and daughter saying their final farewells to her. But "Leiyan's" soul was unable to move to the other world.
Suddenly three spirits appear to help her understand why she can't go. And here begins our journey with "Leiyan", to know how she lived her previous life, how her life will be now, and what will happen to her in the future.
.
.
What an amazing novel, I did not expect that it would captivate me in this way, and how it could affect my feelings in every word and in every situation that happens to it.
The characters of the novel were amazing and very realistic. You can feel every word and every suffering that happens to them.
I felt sad and pitiful for "Leiyan", and at other times I felt angry with her, she was so real that you understand everything she did, from right or wrong actions.
"Janie Chang" was able to control my feelings from the first chapters, and I was a captive with her in every circumstance and every stage of "Leiyan's" life.
It is a novel full of human feelings, talking about love, friendship, and family in a very inspiring and heartwarming way, despite the sadness surrounding it.
.
.
“We can't control other's fates, we can barely manage our own. But we can hope for tomorrow. Tomorrow we can hope for rebirth.”
.
.
Unlike what is expected, this novel begins at the funeral of the main character.
"Leiyan" sees her husband, and daughter saying their final farewells to her. But "Leiyan's" soul was unable to move to the other world.
Suddenly three spirits appear to help her understand why she can't go. And here begins our journey with "Leiyan", to know how she lived her previous life, how her life will be now, and what will happen to her in the future.
.
.
What an amazing novel, I did not expect that it would captivate me in this way, and how it could affect my feelings in every word and in every situation that happens to it.
The characters of the novel were amazing and very realistic. You can feel every word and every suffering that happens to them.
I felt sad and pitiful for "Leiyan", and at other times I felt angry with her, she was so real that you understand everything she did, from right or wrong actions.
"Janie Chang" was able to control my feelings from the first chapters, and I was a captive with her in every circumstance and every stage of "Leiyan's" life.
It is a novel full of human feelings, talking about love, friendship, and family in a very inspiring and heartwarming way, despite the sadness surrounding it.
.
.
“We can't control other's fates, we can barely manage our own. But we can hope for tomorrow. Tomorrow we can hope for rebirth.”
March 3, 2014
The sense of place in “Three Souls” is exquisite. It’s set in China in the late 20’s through the mid 30’s and it begins with 17 year old Leiyin’s ending her school years and becoming a young woman just as China is in turmoil between the Communists and the Nationalists and the Japanese are invading. It was a time of rapid change and old and new were in conflict. Leiyin is caught in the cusp of these changes and she has nontraditional views on what she’d like her future to be. She’s an upper class girl from a traditional family so she’s expected to honor her father by obeying him and marrying the man dad chooses. The story begins at Leiyin’s funeral and Chang uses the devise of Leiyin speaking with parts of her soul as they all review her life. It’s an effective technique and builds suspense and interest.
Not surprisingly Leiyin’s souls are just as opinionated as she is and they have lots to say about the choices she’s made. Chang provides an interesting historical background as she explores family and the individual’s place and obligations within a family. The plot is great and the conclusion is moving.
(By the way if you love ghost stories like I do be aware this isn't a book that's focused on the supernatural. Leiyin's conversation with her souls after death is more a spiritual perspective rather than other worldly.)
This review is based on an Advance Readers Copy furnished by the publisher.
(Disclaimer given as required by the FTC.)
Not surprisingly Leiyin’s souls are just as opinionated as she is and they have lots to say about the choices she’s made. Chang provides an interesting historical background as she explores family and the individual’s place and obligations within a family. The plot is great and the conclusion is moving.
(By the way if you love ghost stories like I do be aware this isn't a book that's focused on the supernatural. Leiyin's conversation with her souls after death is more a spiritual perspective rather than other worldly.)
This review is based on an Advance Readers Copy furnished by the publisher.
(Disclaimer given as required by the FTC.)
September 22, 2018
I wanted to read this because when I read the blurb it gave me serious Goblin vibes. I miss that K-drama so bad. Whilst this is a book isn’t really like Goblin I did really enjoy that it is set in China. It ticked my Asian lit boxes and I learned a surprising amount about Chinese culture. I found it engaging and easy to read. I grew up playing the Dynasty Warriors video games so I didn’t struggle with the family names and such. I think this author did a great job making me care for a character that I really disliked in the beginning for being so naive. She really grew up by the end and I found that the way that the story was told was so fitting. I loved the insights from her other souls and the retrospective nature of the story. Of how looking back on your life you can realise the forks in the road. The times where your choices send you in a different path than you might have first thought. I found it all quite fascinating really. I am eager to look into this authors other book and more books set in China and other Asian countries.
February 14, 2014
Janie Chang has written the most compelling book I've read in the past year. The setting and descriptions are so powerful, this is a truly immersive read. Tie this with intriguing characters and wonderfully twisting plot lines and you have a book that will keep you up late into the night.
March 15, 2015
3.5-stars, if we could.
historically and politically compelling, this is a very good debut novel. set during the 1920s and 30s in revolutionary china, chang weaves the threads of family life, domestic routines, and cultural traditions with political and military upheavals as the communist party evolved, challenging nationalist rule. power, position, connections and sons were important in securing a family's legacies and successes. this is very much a patriarchal world. women were just getting away from the custom of foot binding, but their roles were very much relegated to obedience as a daughter, then as a wife and daughter-in-law - though they wielded some power in running their homes. marriages were still arranged, not based on love, but on what the families' names could do for one another. educating girls was okay... to a point. women's dreams were set aside for duty. it was difficult to be a smart young woman during this time in china. and if a young woman thought she was in love, well, this can complicate life ever further. chang conveys all of this so well.
on the very fist page of the novel, we are told leiyin has died. (this is not a spoiler - it's right in the book's description, so i am giving nothing away here.) she is stuck with her three souls (yang soul, yin soul, and hun soul - though chang has taken creative liberties here), unable to move forward to afterlife and reincarnation until she recognizes the reasons for her detention in this place, and somehow figures out a way to atone for her sins. this spiritual dilemma anchors the novel. and while i found it very interesting, i didn't find the interactions with the souls to be particularly strong. chang does connect, abstractly, the role of each of the souls (stern and scholarly yang; impulsive, romantic yin; and wise, shining hun), but because she has taken liberties, i would have liked a bit more... grounding, i suppose (which i realize seems a ridiculous thing to want from three entities not of this world). perhaps context is a better word? the three souls just didn't feel fully realized to me. i also had a bit of an issue with the ending - it was fine, but it felt a bit rushed. but these two criticisms aren't huge.
i very much enjoyed this novel and read through it so quickly because i needed to know what was going to happen next. i think people will make comparisons to Lisa See - i certainly thought back to some of her novels, which i've enjoyed (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love). if you are a fan of see's, i think you will like janie chang's novel. both authors bring to life vivid worlds and dynamic times, and with both writers i have felt engrossed in their stories.
aside: i was quite interested in the early and repeated mentions of Anna Karenina in chang's novel. clearly it must be a beloved work for the author. the fact that bookishness was a part of the story was a bit of a bonus that i quite enjoyed. characters excited and motivated by books, reading, writing and learning - well, i could genuinely feel the enthusiasms in these moments.
for reference: an interview chang did for the international festival of authors (toronto): http://ifoa.org/2013/by-ifoa-authors/...
historically and politically compelling, this is a very good debut novel. set during the 1920s and 30s in revolutionary china, chang weaves the threads of family life, domestic routines, and cultural traditions with political and military upheavals as the communist party evolved, challenging nationalist rule. power, position, connections and sons were important in securing a family's legacies and successes. this is very much a patriarchal world. women were just getting away from the custom of foot binding, but their roles were very much relegated to obedience as a daughter, then as a wife and daughter-in-law - though they wielded some power in running their homes. marriages were still arranged, not based on love, but on what the families' names could do for one another. educating girls was okay... to a point. women's dreams were set aside for duty. it was difficult to be a smart young woman during this time in china. and if a young woman thought she was in love, well, this can complicate life ever further. chang conveys all of this so well.
on the very fist page of the novel, we are told leiyin has died. (this is not a spoiler - it's right in the book's description, so i am giving nothing away here.) she is stuck with her three souls (yang soul, yin soul, and hun soul - though chang has taken creative liberties here), unable to move forward to afterlife and reincarnation until she recognizes the reasons for her detention in this place, and somehow figures out a way to atone for her sins. this spiritual dilemma anchors the novel. and while i found it very interesting, i didn't find the interactions with the souls to be particularly strong. chang does connect, abstractly, the role of each of the souls (stern and scholarly yang; impulsive, romantic yin; and wise, shining hun), but because she has taken liberties, i would have liked a bit more... grounding, i suppose (which i realize seems a ridiculous thing to want from three entities not of this world). perhaps context is a better word? the three souls just didn't feel fully realized to me. i also had a bit of an issue with the ending - it was fine, but it felt a bit rushed. but these two criticisms aren't huge.
i very much enjoyed this novel and read through it so quickly because i needed to know what was going to happen next. i think people will make comparisons to Lisa See - i certainly thought back to some of her novels, which i've enjoyed (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love). if you are a fan of see's, i think you will like janie chang's novel. both authors bring to life vivid worlds and dynamic times, and with both writers i have felt engrossed in their stories.
aside: i was quite interested in the early and repeated mentions of Anna Karenina in chang's novel. clearly it must be a beloved work for the author. the fact that bookishness was a part of the story was a bit of a bonus that i quite enjoyed. characters excited and motivated by books, reading, writing and learning - well, i could genuinely feel the enthusiasms in these moments.
for reference: an interview chang did for the international festival of authors (toronto): http://ifoa.org/2013/by-ifoa-authors/...
October 17, 2022
“‘𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕚𝕤 𝔸𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕂𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕤𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕒 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝? 𝕀𝕥'𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕒𝕕𝕦𝕝𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕦𝕟𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕤, 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕟𝕦𝕤𝕦𝕒𝕝 𝕚𝕟 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕤, 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕪.’
‘𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝'𝕤 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡𝕤, 𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖.’”🪡⭒𓄼 𓂃𓏲࣪ .˖࣪🧷🪡৶
Three Souls is set in 1935 China, narrated by the ghost of Leiyin, who is stuck in a limbo after death and before the afterlife. From there, she glimpses her own body during her funeral and, by her side, her three souls — yin, yang & hun, who accompany her on this journey that was her life, to understand why she is being refused to ascend and for what sins must she atone to.
There's a pull as Leiyin delves back in time with the three souls to review her life, in the political scenario that takes place in the narrative, in the sacrifices one is willing to pay to achieve freedom, in the countless parallels that can be drawn to Anna Karenina, and in the lessons life teaches throughout time, and how “𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓬𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓻𝓮, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓵𝓮𝓭𝓰𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓭𝓸𝓶 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻.”
‘𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝'𝕤 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡𝕤, 𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖.’”🪡⭒𓄼 𓂃𓏲࣪ .˖࣪🧷🪡৶
Three Souls is set in 1935 China, narrated by the ghost of Leiyin, who is stuck in a limbo after death and before the afterlife. From there, she glimpses her own body during her funeral and, by her side, her three souls — yin, yang & hun, who accompany her on this journey that was her life, to understand why she is being refused to ascend and for what sins must she atone to.
There's a pull as Leiyin delves back in time with the three souls to review her life, in the political scenario that takes place in the narrative, in the sacrifices one is willing to pay to achieve freedom, in the countless parallels that can be drawn to Anna Karenina, and in the lessons life teaches throughout time, and how “𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓬𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓻𝓮, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓵𝓮𝓭𝓰𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓭𝓸𝓶 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻.”
August 5, 2016
Narrated by a recently deceased young woman, this book kind of read like the Chinese The Lovely Bones crossed with A Christmas Carol and a dash of Freud slipped in. Leiyin can't progress through the afterlife until she atones for the sins of her mortal life, in which she was a spoiled, petulant teenager whose desire to push back against tradition in the late 1920s caused her to be cast out of her family and married off to a man from a tiny, rural town. Her three souls help her process the memories of her life so that she can identify how she's supposed to atone. Spoiler alert:
I liked the story well enough, but I ultimately didn't care for any of the characters and it won't really stick with me -- three and a half stars.
I liked the story well enough, but I ultimately didn't care for any of the characters and it won't really stick with me -- three and a half stars.
December 1, 2013
This is a MUST read. Beautiful, eloquent, engaging.....it took me on an emotional ride. The premise was unique and the experience profound. This novel is one which I will add to my favorite reading list.
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