Review: Cloud Cuckoo Land (by Anthony Doerr)

My Rating: 4 stars

Anthony Doerr's masterpiece All the Light We Cannot See is one of my all-time favorite books.  I read it with my book club several years ago and the beautiful writing as well as the captivating storyline absolutely blew me away.   The reading experience I had with that book remains one of the most memorable for me, even after the dozens of books I've read since then.

Given the above, it should of course come as no surprise that when I heard Anthony Doerr would have a new book out this year (his first since the above-mentioned masterpiece), I absolutely knew I had to get my hands on it.  A few months ago, when I was approved for an ARC of the book, I was ecstatic and couldn't wait to read it, despite the fact that, upon reading the summary, I knew that segments of the story wouldn't interest me (specifically the "science fiction" parts, since that's a genre I don't typically enjoy). The fact that this one would be long (600+ pages) also didn't help things, since I already had a huge list of books that I was hoping to get to this month.  

Well, I finally decided to pick this one up last week and while there were definitely parts of it I enjoyed, I was actually a bit underwhelmed overall, especially in comparisons to All the Light We Cannot See. Of course, the writing was excellent (which was expected), but I felt that there was way too much going on in terms of story arcs, which made this too exhaustive of a read for me.  In addition to the narrative alternating between 5 different characters who each have their own separate but interconnected storylines, the timelines and settings were all different as well, so structure-wise, there was a lot of jumping back and forth, both going forward in time as well as backward, to explain various events that were happening.  On top of that, there was also the ancient story of Aethon (the titular "Cloud Cuckoo Land" story) that was interwoven throughout all 5 threads that, in a sense, connected all 5 story arcs together to form a 6th storyline.  All of these threads going on simultaneously made it hard to keep track of everything but I think most difficult of all was the jarring experience of being plucked from one world and placed into another, then a couple pages later, it happens again, over and over.  It also didn't help that much of the story (in terms of theme) revolved around various aspects of science, technology, ecology, climate, geology, space exploration, etc., which there is nothing wrong with of course, it's just that "science-y" stuff has never interested me, so when there is an overload of it, even in a masterfully written work such as this one, I still found it extremely difficult to engage with the story.

Needless to say, I struggled with how to rate this one, as I did enjoy a large part of this, especially the last third or so when each story arc started to pick up speed and converge, making the connections between some of the threads more apparent.  With that said though, the ending left me with more questions than answers — to be more specific, I actually didn't "get" the ending (despite reading it twice), which doesn't happen often, but is absolutely frustrating when it does.  On a separate note, I did love the way the characters were written, all of them so well-developed with distinctive voices that made them seem so real to me — I think if the story had been structured differently, in a way where I would've been able to engage more with the characters, my reading experience would've been very different.

This was a very ambitious book and I definitely admire what Anthony Doerr tried to do here.  While I'm glad I read this and it was absolutely worth the time spent, I unfortunately didn't love this like I was hoping I would.  In the hands of a more literary reader, I'm sure the reaction would likely be different.  This one didn't blow me away like Doerr's previous work did, but it was still a worthwhile read that I definitely recommend, though with the caveat that, depending on your level of interest in the subject matter, will probably require a certain amount of patience as well as time to read.  

Received ARC from Scribner via NetGalley

Review: The Island of Sea Women (by Lisa See)

My Rating: 5 stars

Lisa See is now officially on my favorite authors list, despite the fact that I have not yet read every single one of her novels (which I intend to rectify one of these days).  Ever since reading her previous work The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane (a book that I absolutely adored), I had been anxiously awaiting the release of See’s next novel — even though it took 2 years, the wait was definitely worth it!  With her newest work, The Island of Sea Women, Lisa See delivers yet another richly detailed, emotional tale that explores female friendships, family relationships, and the bond between mother and daughter, all against the historical backdrop of political unrest in Korea during the 1930s and 1940s (and beyond that), as well as spanning multiple wars.  

As the story opens, we are introduced to Kim Young-sook as an old woman in her 80s, one of the few remaining haenyeo (female diver) still living on the small Korean island of Jeju.  Though long-retired from the work of diving and harvesting from the ocean that had been a way of life for her family since childhood and later in her adult life, helped her raise her own family, Young-sook continues to have a special relationship with the sea, which is like a second home to her.  As she sits on the shore sorting algae, she encounters a Korean-American family — a couple and their two children — who ask her specifically if she knows Han Mi-ja, to which she answers that she does not know her.  It turns out that Mi-ja also used to be a haenyeo, but not only that, she and Young-sook were childhood friends, once as close as sisters — but that was several decades ago.  What caused Young-sook and Mi-Ja’s once tight-knit friendship to break apart to the point of no return?  The family’s visit stirs up memories of a long ago past and a time period marked by pain, suffering, as well as tragedy, but most significantly, it leads Young-sook on a personal journey of self-reflection that unearths long-buried secrets about the two women’s relationship.

As we’ve come to expect with all of Lisa See’s novels, this story was well-researched and masterfully told in a way that gave us as readers an authentically-felt rendering of history told through richly developed fictional characters who always manage to make their way into our hearts.  One of the things I love about See’s novels is her focus on strong women characters and this story was certainly no exception — as See writes in her Author’s Note, Jeju women were held in high regard for their “strength, independence, and persistence” and all the haenyeo characters in the story, from the older generation of Sun-sil and Do-saeng to the later generation in Young-sook, Mi-ja, the Kang sisters, etc. all personified these traits and more.  I loved all of the characters, but Young-sook especially made an impact on me, even with her stubbornness and other flaws that made her difficult at times.  I also appreciated the historical elements that See was able to weave so seamlessly into the context of the story.  From Japanese colonialism to World War II to American occupation and the establishment of the Korean republic, through the Korean War all the way to modern day, each time period had an impact on the plot, but it is the April Third Incident in 1949 that plays the most significant role in Yoon-sook and Mi-ja’s story.  Prior to reading this book, I had actually never heard about the April Third Incident and was floored to find out the extent of the horrors — the burning of 70% of the island’s villages, the massacre of close to 80,000 people, the displacement of several hundred thousand residents, and then to add insult to injury, for over 50 years, survivors were forced to keep quiet about what had happened due to the threat of death or retaliation under the guilt-by-association policy.  As always, See did a tremendous amount of research for this novel and it shows.

Another aspect I love about Lisa See’s novels is the emotional depth that she is able to bring out with her stories.  I read much of the last third of this book with tears in my eyes and the ending actually tore me apart.  Young-sook is another of See’s characters whom I know will stay with me for a long time to come (much like Li-yan from The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane still comes into my mind from time to time). 

Beautifully written with wonderfully developed characters and a moving, unforgettable back story, The Island of Sea Women is yet another Lisa See masterpiece that absolutely deserves to be read.  Highly recommended without a doubt!

Received ARC from Scribner / Simon & Schuster via both NetGalley and Edelweiss.

Review: The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane (by Lisa See)

My Rating: 5 stars

WOW!!! This was the first word that came to my mind after finishing this book. I honestly can’t remember the last time a work of fiction affected me as much on an emotional level as this book did. To say that I enjoyed this book is actually an understatement – more appropriately, I ADORED this book and absolutely savored every minute I spent reading it!

Let’s start with the premise of the book, which is essentially about a girl named Li-yan, who is from the ethnic minority tribe Akha in China. Her tribe resides in a remote Yunnan village called Spring Well, located in the Nannuo Mountains -- a land that is filled with tea trees, some of which date back hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years. Li-yan and her family are tea farmers who make their living by picking tea leaves and then selling them to the local tea collection center. Outside of their regular work as tea farmers, Li-yan’s A-ma (the Akha term for mother) is also a midwife, though in reality, she does so much more than just deliver babies – she is also the village healer of sorts who is able to treat all types of ailments with her special potions. When the story begins, Li-yan is 10-years-old and as the only daughter in the family (she has 3 older brothers), she is destined to follow in her A-ma’s footsteps in becoming a midwife. All Akha follow a strict set of rituals and traditions that have been passed on for generations and any deviation from these customs are viewed as “grave sins” that bring bad luck on the entire village. Depending on the severity of the “violation,” the wrong can be righted through cleansing ceremonies and offerings, with the worst punishment being banishment from the village. With her bold personality and a strong desire to become more than what her culture has destined her to be, Li-yan finds herself constantly defying the rules and “causing trouble to her family.” As we follow Li-yan from adolescence to adulthood, we bear witness to all the trials and tribulations she encounters in her life as she struggles to stay true to her Akha heritage while at the same time understanding that she must also adapt to the ever-changing world around her.

The above summary merely scratches the surface of what this book is about – there is so much more to the story than just a young girl’s coming of age journey. In addition to being a story about culture and tradition, family and relationships, fate and circumstances, love and the strong bond between mothers and daughters, there is also an exploration of the political, economic, and social issues in China throughout the nearly three decades that the story covers. The story itself is told mostly from Li-yan’s perspective, with some sections switching over to Li-yan’s long-lost daughter Haley’s perspective. In terms of setting, majority of the story takes place in China, though a good portion of the second half takes place in the United States (specifically in Southern California).

There are so many things I love about this book! The story is captivating, with the sections on family and the bond between mothers and daughters especially touching and endearing. I was moved to tears with the ending scene (which was at the same time poignant as well as powerful) and still felt a bit sad long after I finished reading the book, mostly because I had grown so attached to the characters and the story that I didn’t want it to end. The prose was beautiful, the characters were endearing, the story was fascinating, the historical aspects were well-researched and meticulously described – all things that set this book apart as exceptional!

This is actually my first time reading Lisa See’s books and I’m glad I started with this one due to how much I was able to relate to so many aspects of this book. As someone who grew up (and currently still lives) in Southern California, it was great fun reading through the second half of the book and recognizing every single place that was referred to (and not just the cities either – the restaurants and shops were places that I’ve been to numerous times). I’m also a tea lover (in fact, I’m drinking Pu’erh right now as I write this), so I really appreciated the detail in which the author described the tea making process and all the other aspects about tea, which was a fascinating read for me. On a deeper level, as a Chinese-American myself, I was able to relate to many of the societal struggles that both Li-yan and Haley went through in the story, as I’ve experienced some of those same struggles first-hand over the years. For me, it was wonderful to see a character like Li-yan – a strong woman who loves her family and embraces her heritage as part of who she is, but at the same time, doesn’t allow herself to be chained down to the rituals and traditions to the point that she is unable to accept anything else outside of them. I also appreciated how Li-yan was able to see her own flaws and mistakes she’d made in her life and owned up to them wholeheartedly. Another favorite character for me was Li-yan’s A-ma, who represented the steadfast adherence to cultural beliefs and customs, but at the same time, demonstrated how a mother’s unconditional love for her daughter can transcend all else.

I highly recommend this book, not just to Lisa See fans, but to anyone who likes a great story with cultural and historical significance as well as well-developed characters and also emotional depth. This is definitely one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year!

Received advance reader's copy from Scribner via NetGalley (expected publication date: March 21, 2017).

(Read in February 2017)