Amy Tan, The Bonesetter's Daughter

I believe The Bonesetter's Daughter is one of Tan's best work, better than the more famous The Joy Luck Club. The other stand-out of Tan's is The Hundred Secret Senses.

The Bonesetter's Daughter, like most of Tan's books, is primarily about the relationships between mothers and daughters. In this case, it deals with Lu Ling's sad relationship with her mother, and her relationship with Ruth, the daughter who doesn't understand her.

The reader sees it from the point of view of the respective daughter. In Ruth's story, we see a very modern and real situation, in which an American Chinese daughter struggles with managing a stubborn mother with worsening dementia, as well as trying to bridge the gap between her American step children and the strong Chinese culture of Lu Ling's.

Lu Ling's story is different. It is like a tall tale or fairytale where everything is dramatized, almost surreal. But it is the better of the two stories. Her past is a tale of incredible love and sacrifice in the difficult and unjust world of old China. Just amazing. You will want to skip all chapters set in modern America to read about Lu Ling's life.

But the pay off is even more wonderful and satisfying. Both daughters are able to come full circle in regards to their mothers, at last finding understanding, respect and acceptance.

A truly lovely story. It was the first book that ever made me cry. A must read!