The Valley of Amazement
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4.2 • 1.1K Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Amy Tan’s The Valley of Amazement is a sweeping, evocative epic of two women’s intertwined fates and their search for identity, that moves from the lavish parlors of Shanghai courtesans to the fog-shrouded mountains of a remote Chinese village.
Spanning more than forty years and two continents, The Valley of Amazement resurrects pivotal episodes in history: from the collapse of China’s last imperial dynasty, to the rise of the Republic, the explosive growth of lucrative foreign trade and anti-foreign sentiment, to the inner workings of courtesan houses and the lives of the foreign “Shanghailanders” living in the International Settlement, both erased by World War II.
A deeply evocative narrative about the profound connections between mothers and daughters, The Valley of Amazement returns readers to the compelling territory of Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. With her characteristic insight and humor, she conjures a story of inherited trauma, desire and deception, and the power and stubbornness of love.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Amy Tan’s spellbinding new novel—her first since 2005’s Saving Fish from Drowning—unfurls against the backdrop of Shanghai in the early 20th century—a bustling metropolis where East and West mix and clash. Lulu Mintern is an American who runs one of the city’s finest courtesan houses. Her precocious daughter Violet spends her days spying on seductive encounters, vying for her mother’s attention, and trying to unravel the mysteries of her origin. The Valley of Amazement is primarily Violet’s story, and it bursts at the seams with heartbreak. Once again, Tan demonstrates her talent for conjuring unforgettable female characters who are as wily, bawdy, and brittle as they are sensitive, wise, and vulnerable. Like many daughters, Violet finds that her relationship with her mother is a source of profound pain. But it’s also the fierce, complicated bonds between women that keep her sane in the face of staggering adversity—and give her the strength to rewrite her destiny.
Customer Reviews
The Valley of Amazement
Good read. There were many peaks and valleys of anticipation and details. I liked this as it created natural breaks from reading. As a mother of two daughters I enjoyed the mother daughter relationship from the two perspectives.
The Valley of Amazement
I thought it was a good read. Well worth the money. It reminded me of Memoirs of a Geisha.
Happy Reading!
The Valley of Amazement
Amy Tan has written an amazing story which grabbed my heart from the first page to the very last. The mother daughter plot lines are wonderful. The places about which she writes in China come alive with the author's descriptions. I have read all of Amy Tan's books and loved them all. This one is every bit as good as her prior novels, if not better.