The Hundred Secret Senses
A Novel
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4.2 • 255 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
The "wisest and most captivating novel" (Boston Globe) from the author of the bestselling The Joy Luck Club and The Backyard Bird Chronicles
Set in San Francisco and in a remote village of Southwestern China, Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses is a tale of American assumptions shaken by Chinese ghosts and broadened with hope. In 1962, five-year-old Olivia meets the half-sister she never knew existed, eighteen-year-old Kwan from China, who sees ghosts with her "yin eyes." Decades later, Olivia describes her complicated relationship with her sister and her failing marriage, as Kwan reveals her story, sweeping the reader into the splendor and violence of mid-nineteenth century China. With her characteristic wisdom, grace, and humor, Tan conjures up a story of the inheritance of love, its secrets and senses, its illusions and truths.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Tan's novel of the conflicts between two very different Chinese American sisters spent 12 weeks on PW's bestseller list.
Customer Reviews
One hundred senses
Beautiful
Funny and Charming Story of Sisters
THE HUNDRED SECRET SENSES focuses on Olivia, a Chinese-American woman, and Kwan, her older sister who was born in China. The novel opens explaining that Kwan has “Yin Eyes,” which means she is able to see ghosts. Now in middle age, Olivia separates from her husband, Simon. After they get an offer to write a piece for a magazine together, Kwan convinces Olivia and Simon to go with her to China to write about Chinese food and to see the village where she was born.
This book is structurally interesting. The novel follows a fairly straightforward plot in present day San Francisco and China. These sections are broken up by stories told from Kwan’s point of view, allegedly from a past life. Kwan speaks with an accent and the writing matches her accent, except for the storytelling parts which is in a more traditional English style.
I loved this book. I was not sure what to expect, but I thought it was surprising and engaging and interesting. I was confused at times jumping back and forth between the two time periods, but eventually I was able to follow which led to a satisfying ending. I loved Kwan and thought she was really funny. Olivia was frustrating at times, especially her treatment of Kwan, but she grew as a character and was sympathetic. This book explores themes of love, identity, and memory. The prose is beautiful and the story captivated me.▪️
Amazing and moving book
This book brought back so many memories as well as heart warming feeling with the ups and downs the heroin faces as she tries to uncover her mother's past.