The Valley of Amazement

By: Amy Tan

Narrated by: Nancy Wu, Joyce Bean, Amy Tan

Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author of The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan brings us her latest novel: a sweeping, evocative epic of two women's intertwined fates and their search for identity - from the lavish parlors of Shanghai courtesans to the fog-shrouded mountains of a remote Chinese village

Shanghai, 1912. Violet Minturn is the privileged daughter of the American madam of the city's most exclusive courtesan house. But when the Ching dynasty is overturned, Violet is separated from her mother in a cruel act of chicanery and forced to become a "virgin courtesan." Half-Chinese and half-American, Violet grapples with her place in the worlds of East and West - until she is able to merge her two halves, empowering her to become a shrewd courtesan who excels in the business of seduction and illusion, though she still struggles to understand who she is.

Back in 1897 San Francisco, Violet's mother, Lucia, chooses a disastrous course as a sixteen-year-old, when her infatuation with a Chinese painter compels her to leave her home for Shanghai. Shocked by her lover's adherence to Chinese traditions, she is unable to change him, despite her unending American ingenuity.

Fueled by betrayals, both women refuse to submit to fate and societal expectations, persisting in their quests to recover what was taken from them: respect; a secure future; and, most poignantly, love from their parents, lovers, and children. To reclaim their lives, they take separate journeys - to a backwater hamlet in China, the wealthy environs of the Hudson River Valley, and, ultimately, the unknown areas of their hearts, where they discover what remains after their many failings to love and be loved. Spanning more than forty years and two continents, The Valley of Amazement transports listeners from the collapse of China's last imperial dynasty to the beginning of the Republic and recaptures the lost world of old Shanghai through the inner workings of courtesan houses and the lives of the foreigners living in the International Settlement, both erased by World War II. A deeply evocative narrative of the profound connections between mothers and daughters, imbued with Tan's characteristic insight and humor, The Valley of Amazement conjures a story of inherited trauma, desire and deception, and the power and obstinacy of love.

©2013 Amy Tan (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

So awesome

I'm a reader so I was skeptical that I could listen to a book and enjoy it. The narration pulled me in and I couldn't wait each day to get in my car for my commute with Amy Tan.

A green eyed Chinese girl

The story of a strong minded girl who's American mother had moved to China to marry the Chinese man who was the father of her child. In the early 1900's a mixed marriage was not accepted by society. To survive in Shanghai as a single woman was difficult but her American spirit and stubborn spirit she survived running a men's club in the American enclave of Shanghai. The story is told through the eyes of her daughter and the many experiences she had being a mixed breed. It was fascinating how she learned about life and explored the many types of love women and men experience in their lives. Excellent story and narration.

Last half is better

The book started out extremely slowly for me. Hearing all the details of a courtesan house through the eyes of a young girl was a little tedious & not interesting to me. It may have worked better for me if it were written as a flashback - then, I might have known why it would be important eventually. The author seemed to over-detail some things & gloss over others that needed more explanation.
The author didn't fully make you sympathies with main character on many tragedies. You never fully believe that the main character is truly devastated by these events.
It was frustrating to me that the main character took so long to mature. All of the struggles she went through may have been simplified or avoided if she had just accepted love, or opened up to anyone, or even if she could have been humble enough to just read some letters that she received.
But, I suppose that was part of the story - learning that that kind of behavior prevents you from enjoying full happiness in your life.
Three generations of women repeated their mothers' own mistakes out of stubbornness.
I don't regret reading it, but I don't feel any need to read it again.
If you can hang on through the first half of the book, the second half is more rewarding.
It also gave an interesting view into the old-fashioned customs in China.
The last few hours of the book really bring together many loose ends & interesting connections in the story.
The readers did a terrific job of segregating the voices enough that you could tell who was speaking.

Too much telling, not enough showing.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No.The story dragged.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Predictable.

Would you listen to another book narrated by the narrators?

No. The main narrator sounded bored with her own character. Her boredom was contagious.

Do you think The Valley of Amazement needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. Instead, it needs massive truncating and revision.

Any additional comments?

Very disappointed in Amy Tan. Usually I like her work.

oh my

I'm not sure I rooted for anyone, the whole thing felt like torture for the characters and myself. 24 hours omg. I was glad there was a tiny bit of resolution at the end but really, was too little too late.

Utterly disliked this book!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend this book to anyone. I felt that the storyline was very ugly, the reading sounded more like the recitation of a grocery list. In sum, it fell flat. The Valley of Amazement, not at all... It should have been called, Tales of an Old Whore.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Listened to it months ago.

Was The Valley of Amazement worth the listening time?

NO.

Great Characters, Intriguing Story, Well-told

Any additional comments?

This is Amy Tan at what she does best: Character development in an interesting story that captures and holds your attention. I'm not sure what other reviewers found as lacking story or characters they didn't care about. Perhaps the subject of courtesans and sex was unpalatable for them. The characters are well developed, strong women, interesting and well written. The novel covers many generations and remains true to the story with the characters growing and changing in believable ways. The women are strong, witty and engaging. Read/Listen and enjoy! It's Amy Tan!

Amy Tan knocks another one out of the park.

What made the experience of listening to The Valley of Amazement the most enjoyable?

The story was just so rich and wonderful to listen to however when the narrators were speaking as the men I always pictured them as 80 year olds and not the young men they started out as. Hard to keep in line with the ages of the characters.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Valley of Amazement?

I loved every moment of this book. Happy moments and sad moments.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no, I enjoyed listening to it over time and will probably listen to it again.

Interesting Read

This was a great read - interesting in that it gave a lot of history of China and cultural aspects of being a woman in China and the choices they had starting in the 1800's up to WW 2.

Beautiful story

Well worth the money! I was captured by this story told by Amy Tan, and am anxious to try out more of her books. I loved the fact that they used three narrators. I highly recommend The Valley of Amazement!