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Valley of Amazement
Valley of Amazement | Amy Tan
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."
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Martta
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Pickpick

I found this interesting and loved the setting of the story both as physical locations and timewise. The characters felt like they actually lived in the pages. This is quite a big book and it was fun to read one story for such a long time. It's been awhile since I last did that. I think I'll be reading more Amy Tan at some point. 😊

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Martta
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Started two new books today. I'm travelling again and wanted to pick two books to take with me that are as different as possible. Blue one is historical fiction and the black one is non-fiction that focuses around mafia.

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JenDR
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Getting some early morning reading in outside before it gets too hot.

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Eggs
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Step back in time with a story about life as a courtesan in early 20th century China. Spanning fifty years, the book follows the life of Violet Minturn, who is forced to separate from her mother and become a virgin courtesan at the start of the revolution.

#ExoticTravel #IndelibeMoments @AlwaysReading @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds good ❤️ 2y
Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks It was amazing HF 2y
72 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Eggs
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Pickpick

Audiobook: there were times I felt it was a long journey (600+ pages) and I wasn‘t sure where it was leading. But it ended up in a beautiful way as the story of two strong women unfolded over the years. They prevailed through political upheaval, evil men, poverty, abandonment and the lives they lived within the confines of the courtesan world. Great story 💗

#authoramonth2021 @Soubhiville
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

64 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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TalesandTexts
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. It's description of Chinese courtesan houses and how virgin courtesans were trained, were particularly interesting.

But what I enjoyed the most was the culture of wooing, jealous rivalries and lifelong sisterhood - it touched my heart.

The audible narration is done by three narrators and they were great.

In all, this book has it all - drama, action, suspense, sex and tears. What more can you ask for?

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Mshookquilts
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Pickpick

Well-written, moving. The perfidy of man made me so angry in so many places in this book, I had to keep putting it down; yet I‘m glad I persevered. A story of the damage done to one woman passing down wounds to the next generation...3 generations. Strong, amazing women.

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Arvena
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OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚👍🏻 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 💛💛 4y
25 likes1 stack add2 comments
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abellism
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Pickpick

A story between mothers and daughters, relationships that are separated through unfortunate events.

I enjoyed the reading the family history of Violet, Lucia, and Flora. Each person had personal growth without mother figures in their life and how they found their way back to each other. The book goes through pain and love in the early 1900s.

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TK-421
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“I was returning with myself whole and unbroken—limbs, mind, and spirit. I had discarded pride, that useless burden of self-importance.” #return #QuotsyMay20

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Twisted
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I knew that feeling of being betrayed by lies you had believed in. It was like a crack in the wall behind you that widened without your knowing until the entire how collapsed on you.

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Blueberry
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Currently reading in preparation to seeing Amy Tan next month.

Tanisha_A She is amazing! Met her once at a lit fest. Have a great time! 5y
DrSabrinaMoldenReads I recommend her memoirs. They are awesome and eye-opening about her 5y
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DrSabrinaMoldenReads I recommend “The Opposite of Fate” first but both are great! @Blueberry (edited) 5y
64 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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Blueberry
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1. The Valley of Amazement
2. The Song of Hiawatha by Longfellow
3. The cost

@NataliePatalie @rachelsbrittain #weekendreads
Thanks for the tag @Eggs

Eggs You‘re most welcome! 5y
37 likes1 comment
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Blueberry
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I'm going and the tickets were free! I will read the tagged book to prepare. 😁

NataliePatalie Jealous! 5y
Reggie Omg I love her and you‘re sooo lucky!!!! 5y
58 likes2 comments
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llwheeler
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#bookwormlogic

- own 3 Amy Tan books for 10+ years
- resist buying others bc of said 3 unread books, what if I don't like her?
- finally get around to reading The Joy Luck Club - it totally lives up to its rep, I loved it!
- pick up some more Amy Tan books bc now I know I like her
- now have 4 unread Amy Tan books

... 🤷‍♀️ #neverendingtbr

rather_be_reading the endless cycle! 5y
rather_be_reading the endless cycle! 5y
tessavi I got two of those books as well, still unread. Will bump them up on my list after reading your post 🙂 5y
llwheeler @tessavi I definitely recommend The Joy Luck Club! Hopefully I will get to the others soon myself 5y
42 likes5 comments
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llwheeler
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Went for a walk this morning and had more good luck at a #littlefreelibrary 🙂

Dunno who this book smelled like but kitty boy felt the need to make it very thoroughly his. #catsofLitsy

Lcsmcat Great find! 5y
wildwoodreads He looks like my baby! 💕 5y
llwheeler @Lcsmcat Thanks! I'm excited to read it! 5y
llwheeler @megzlynn ❤️😊 5y
48 likes4 comments
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LibraryCin
Pickpick

I really liked this. A warning that there are some graphic scenes, though – sex, violence. The book certainly kept me wanting to read to find out what happened. It was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster with ups and downs. A small portion of the book told Lulu‘s story; admittedly, at first, I didn‘t think this was necessary, but it got more interesting as it went on, and it was nice to see the pieces come together as it continued.

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JGadz11
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Labour Day = beach day. Started this book and devoured half of it! Perfect bank holiday. ☀️⛱📚💝

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BiblioNyan
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Added a friend to my current TBR shelf. He seems very excited to be surrounded by books! 😆

#shelfie #litsygram #alien #facehugger

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Insightsintobooks
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Just started reading this.

TheFunkyBookworm Love Amy Tan 💜 7y
Lcsmcat I read this a few years ago and enjoyed it. 7y
47 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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RiaWritten
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I got my Goodreads TBR below 600!! Now to fill it back up with my kindle books and bookshelf books. Wanted to snap a pic before I did.

drokka Congrats, a difficult achievement for any bibliophile. (edited) 7y
35 likes1 comment
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CillainWonderland
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Tanner
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Day 11 #setinsoutheastasia #aprilbookshowers This is the closest one I could find on my shelves to being set in Southeast Asia. It was an OK read but not a favourite.

MrsMalaprop The only book of hers I've read that was a 'Pan' for me. 8y
Tanner @MrsMalaprop This was the first and only one I've read of hers and I found it meh, so have been hesitant to try any others. 8y
MrsMalaprop Oh no. I have liked all BUT this one. The Hundred Secret Senses and The Kitchen God's Wife were all good from memory. 8y
29 likes3 comments
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Aaronlisa
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Pickpick

Just finished this book and always I loved Amy Tan's writing.

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IMASLOWREADER
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what great finds...every single minute was worth it...perusing @ Bart'sBooks...#booknerdforlife #imallbooked #inmyownworld #shuttingoutreality #bookishgal #myreadinglife #readersgonnaread

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MrsMalaprop
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Panpan

#Didntlikeitstillfinishedit #Marchintoreading I'm on fire: 4 out of 4 challenges so far this month 👍😁. I have enjoyed many Amy Tan books over the years, but this is not one of them. The only reason I finished it is because it was a book club read, chosen by my mum (sorry mum ❤).

RealLifeReading Woohoo! (Not the book that is, but the bit about the challenges!) 8y
tracy.m.ng Agree, overall decent book but sometimes I felt like it was really dragging. 7y
26 likes2 comments
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Tanner
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Day 28 #BooksByAsianWriters #ReadJanuary These are the only two in my home collection, but in recent years, I've read more books by Asian writers, courtesy of friends and my local libraries.

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LeafingThroughLife
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Look, I only got a few books at the book sale. I am the picture of restraint and practicality #saidnooneever

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Copwithabook
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Pickpick

This was great as a great audiobook. It was interesting seeing into the Chinese world of courtesans (I liked the Japanese story Memoirs of a Geisha). Unlike Memoirs of a Geisha, I felt like this novel didn't have as tight a plot line. I will forgive plot meandering, however, because the world Tan created was so vivid.

10 likes1 stack add
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Copwithabook
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Any body have such a long TBR list that you don't know what to pick up next? How do you decide? I may be in a reading funk 😱😰

CherylDeFranceschi My TBR is bigger than my lifeline! 8y
ReadingOver50 I have books on my kindle that I totally forgot what they are about. 8y
Copwithabook @ReadingOver50 I actually love when that happens. I'll pick up a book and think well I put it on my TBR list so it should be good. And am totally surprised when I read it. 8y
9 likes3 comments
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Bookchipmunk
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Weekend TBR: Late start to the weekend because of a lot of winter traveling! Started this 600+ page one (on the Kindle) during the 11 hour plane ride for letter V. The plan is to finish it, finish letter C and then chose between these for letter D and MountTBR. Winnie is so ready! Aloha 😎🌺 #LitsyAtoZ #MountTBR #FunFridayPhoto

britt_brooke Love that face! 💚💚💚 8y
Julsmarshall What a cutie pie! He looks so serious 😍 8y
35 likes2 comments
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Copwithabook
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Starting a new audiobook. Back on night shift tonight. Got a long 12 hour shift in front of me. #audiobook #happylistening

Chelsea.Poole I really enjoyed the audio version of this👍🏻 8y
11 likes1 comment
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Mtroiano
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#bookface challenge

I read this book a couple of years ago and, like everything I've read by Amy Tan, it was excellent.

saresmoore Fantastic photo! Also, adding this to my list. 8y
Chessa Great pic! 8y
awishman That books was so heartbreaking. 8y
See All 7 Comments
Lacythebookworm 🙌😊 8y
RealLifeReading Great photo! 8y
Foxyfictionista I lived this book! 8y
MrBook Hah! Great pic! 8y
26 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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Cinfhen
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#photoadaynov16 Who knew?!? I found 2 #headlesscovers in my first stack 😊 I still haven't read Valley of Amazement but it's moving up in my pile. Hoping to get to it in January❣️

48 likes1 stack add
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theshrinkette
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shawnmooney 👍👍👍👍 8y
18 likes1 comment
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JacquelineRose
Panpan

I was so excited to read this book by Amy Tan but I was unfortunately very disappointed. It seemed too long and I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. Although it explored a part of Chinese history I wasn't familiar with, I would look for another book to explore it. 😕

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Giuly
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<>

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Raquel
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Do you know what morals are, Violet? They're other people's rules. Do you know what a conscience is? Freedom to use your own intelligence to decide what is right or wrong...Whenever others disapprove of you, you must disregard them and be the only one to judge your own decisions and actions.

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katcanwrite
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Pickpick

Amazing book. Started it a year and a half ago but couldn't get into it. Just restarted it, and I couldn't put it down. A sad read, but beautifully written.

Zakia Not as good as The Joy Luck Club though... Still, good to see Amy Tan writing again. 8y
katcanwrite @Zakia I love The Joy Luck Club! It is one of my favorites. 8y
Zakia @katcanwrite I remember there was a film version of the book and that was really good too. You might want to check it out :) 8y
katcanwrite @Zakia thanks!! I will have to check it out! 😊 8y
2 likes4 comments