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.

Excellent!

With 3 narrators, it was easy to visualize the individual characters. Excellent story. Amy Tan is a fantastic writer.

Breaking the cycles

Tan never disappoints me and this book was no different. Every moment was rich with story, history, country and custom.

a very enjoyable story

I really like the story. It was interesting and unique and I could vividly see the book play out before me. It had funny and heart-wrenching sad moments and a very satisfying ending. I sent the book to a friend who I knew would also enjoy it.

Good Tan novel

If you could sum up The Valley of Amazement in three words, what would they be?

Rich, engaging, entertaining

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Amy Tan writes compelling novels that allow you to meet some interesting characters in a period in time that most Westerners don't know much about. Her novels allow us to learn as much about the culture as about her rich, complex characters.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Violet

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the villain was killed in the rock slide.

Any additional comments?

Not Tan's best work but a good read.

Long and tedious

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

Sadly, I would not. I stopped listening five chapters before it ended. I gave it a good try but by then, I had stopped caring about Violet and her mother. I agree that people usually make the same mistakes over and over, but Violet's self-created problems were too predictable and ultimately not very believable.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I found the lovemaking (if you can call it that) too graphic.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Often authors who narrate their own books disappoint but Ms. Tan's voice and those of the other narrators are expressive and credible.

Was The Valley of Amazement worth the listening time?

No

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed Ms. Tan's other books so I was disappointed that this one fell short.

Good Story But Convoluted

This story turned out to be better than I expected after I got bogged down. There is a tedious part where there is too much detailed explaining about the skills one needs to be a courtesan. Two people I know quit the book there. But I persevered and I'm glad I did. At times I was impatient with Violet when she was so wimpy with Perpetual and seemed to do nothing about her horrible situation. Eventually everyone seems to come to terms with the various twists and turns of their lives.

terribly great story.

I couldn't stop listening. the character development was well done. worth your time to read!

Great book!

This was a very captivating and interesting book. I really enjoyed it! I could not stop listening! Well done!

Rough subject matter but such a rich story.5stars!

This book is intense & sad if you struggle with matters of sex trafficking. It's not graphic exactly but is disturbing at times. Amy Tan is such a good story teller though- that isn't the takeaway. I feel it's an accurate depiction of life for thousands of women throughout history. I enjoyed this almost as much as Joy Luck Club. A++ story. The narrator did a good job but her accents are a little distracting from the tone of the plot. Her impersonation of Magic Gord's accent sounds nasal and parodying.

Amy Tan does it again

As with all Amy's books, it's as hard to keep reading as to put down. The life of Asian women in Amy's stories are so hard. The book is full of interesting twists and turns.