Looking Back - The Bonesetter's Daughter

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan

Fiction

2001 G.P. Putnam's Sons

Finished on June 5, 2001

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Ruth Young and her widowed mother, LuLing, have always had a tumultuous relationship. Now, before she succumbs to forgetfulness, LuLing gives Ruth some of her writings, which reveal a side of LuLing that Ruth has never known. . . .

In a remote mountain village where ghosts and tradition rule, LuLing grows up in the care of her mute Precious Auntie as the family endures a curse laid upon a relative known as the bonesetter. When headstrong LuLing rejects the marriage proposal of the coffinmaker, a shocking series of events are set in motion–all of which lead back to Ruth and LuLing in modern San Francisco. The truth that Ruth learns from her mother’s past will forever change her perception of family, love, and forgiveness.

My Original Thoughts (2001):

Book group selection. Having read all of Tan's previous works, I was excited to get her latest and bought it the day it was released. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. There was nothing about the story that grabbed my attention. I put it down after reading 1/3 and wasn't anxious to resume reading. I eventually finished the book, but thought it lacked Tan's wonderful prose. 

My Current Thoughts:

I'm surprised I gave this a "good" rating. Based on my initial thoughts, I would now drop it down to 2/5 stars.