Wordless Wednesday (November 25)

Stormy Skies, Denmark

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Short Review: Peony in Love by Lisa See

Peony in Love by Lisa See is a lovely and haunting look at China in the seventeenth century. The publisher's summary for the book is quite long, but here is some of it:

“I finally understand what the poets have written. In spring, moved to passion; in autumn only regret.”

For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amid the scent of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few females have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony is the cloistered daughter of a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage. Though raised to be obedient, Peony has dreams of her own.

Peony’s mother is against her daughter’s attending the production. . . But Peony’s father assures his wife that proprieties will be maintained, and that the women will watch the opera from behind a screen. Yet through its cracks, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man with hair as black as a cave–and is immediately overcome with emotion.

So begins Peony’s unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow.

Here are my notes from early in 2008 (edited to avoid spoilers): Wonderful tale of women's issues set in historical China and based on factual information. Peony wants to make something of her life and becomes obsessed with writing a critical assessment of an opera that carries her name: The Peony Pavillion. Through the course of the novel, Peony learns what it means to be a woman in China in her times, learns the true stories of her mother and grandmother, sees her father and grandfather in a new (and changing) light, and even comes to terms with her duties as a wife and sister wife. Peony's journey to become an ancestor will stay with me for a long time.

If you haven't read Peony in Love or See's earlier Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, you don't know what you're missing. Highly recommended for anyone who loves historical fiction, books about women's issues, and books that transport you to other places, other times.

The cover is from the 2008 Random House edition. (Source: Bought; see review policy)

Peony in Love at an Indie

Peony in Love at Powell's
Peony in Love at Amazon
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Reading at the Beach is the host for this meme: Each week she invites us to spotlight a book whose title begins with the featured letter. This week it's P.

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Today's Read: The House on Tradd Street by Karen White

My name is Melanie Middleton, and my army brat childhood didn't exactly prepare me for my chosen profession. Who knew that I'd specialize in selling old houses, the kind in which generations of a single family lived and died. I don't even like the things, they are smelly and dusty and I have to talk to old people who are admitting that they don't have much future left. Okay, maybe that's not the real reason I hate old houses, it's probably because I can often see the ghosts of former occupants . . . not in some sentimental way, but quite literally.

For more Where Are You? answers, visit Raidergirl3 at An Adventure in Reading.


MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Teaser Tuesdays. Here's how it works: Grab your current read; let the book fall open to a random page; and share 2 “teaser” sentences from that page. For more teasers, click on through to MizB's blog.

As was my habit, I avoided looking at the historic buildings along King Street. . . . I supposed the buildings were beautiful in their own antique, money-sucking way, but it was what I saw sometimes peering out at me from old shop windows that kept my eyes focused straight ahead. It was the same with hospitals. I had to wear earphones just to block out the sounds of the voices from people only I could see. (p. 14)

—From The House on Tradd Street by Karen White (Source: Review, see review policy)

The House on Tradd Street at an Indie

The House on Tradd Street at Powell's
The House on Tradd Street at Amazon
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Review: The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan

The Rabbits, written by John Marsden and illustrated by Shaun Tan, is a little hard to describe. It's not really a graphic novel but is more than just a picture book.

On the surface, the book is about the colonization and industrialization of Australia by Western peoples, but it is also the story of any land that was settled by Europeans in the last two hundred years.

On a different level, the book is about the effects of overpopulation and technology on the environment and the loss of natural resources.

Although The Rabbits is the winner of The Children's Book Council of Australia's Picture Book of the Year award, the sparsely told story addresses adult and universal issues.

The oversize format of the book is the perfect way to showcase Tan's amazing art. The rabbits are not cute bunnies but triangular-shaped creatures that walk on two legs and wear the uniforms of Western cultures. The contrast between the original landscapes and native inhabitants with the introduced species and urban sprawl is unmistakable and unforgettable.

Here is a spread from near the beginning of the book:


And here is one showing the effects of unregulated exploitation of the land:


I recommend this book for parents who like to discuss political and environmental issues with their children and to anyone who loves beautiful art. The paintings are incredible, and I will turn to this book many times to study the details.

John Marsden and Shaun Tan both have websites where you can learn more about their work.

The Rabbits at an Indie

The Rabbits at Powell's
The Rabbits at Amazon
These 3 links lead to affiliate programs.

Published by Lothian, 1998
ISBN-13: 9780968876886
Challenges: 100+, 999, Clear Off Your Shelves
YTD: 83
Source: Bought (see review policy)
Rating: B+

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Blogger Unplugged: Can You Do It?

Well, you know the story: All ideas evolve from Twitter conversations! In this case, Jen of Devourer of Books and I were talking about how sometimes it's a good idea to step away from the computer and fully focus on our homes, families, and the upcoming holidays. We love blogging and being on Twitter and checking out Facebook because that's the only way we have of connecting with our blogging friends, some of whom we've met in real life at book events.

It's easy to get that feeling that you'll miss out on something--an event, a wave, a conversation--if you shut down your computer.

But the truth is, it's okay to walk away sometimes. And that's what Blogger Uplugged is all about. As Jen wrote in her post, we are not only giving you permission to unplug, we're challenging you to unplug for some time between now and the end of year.

What about the rules? Because we aren't big on rules, we didn't make any! Instead, we challenge you to pick a time or a schedule that suits you. Maybe you'll pick a weekend or Christmas Day. Or perhaps you like the idea of walking away from the computer from 5:00 to 8:00 each evening for a week. You pick the time, you make the commitment.

We are here to help you avoid blogger burnout. It's okay to preschedule posts, but don't beat yourself up, if you spend the day baking cookies instead of writing something for your blog. Just grab the button, and let your readers know that you might be absent for a few days in December. We promise, the world won't collapse, and we won't forget who you are.

My goal is to unplug on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve day for sure. I'm also going to spend most of Thanksgiving weekend reading as part of the Thankfully Reading Weekend event.

Hope to not see you for a little bit during the coming weeks.

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