The Golden Mountain

By: Irene Kai

Narrated by: Anna Fields

A journey back in time, The Golden Mountain is the gripping tale of four generations of Chinese women who live and die under the restrictions of their culture, except for one, the author. Her story tells of growing up in Hong Kong and of her transition to New York City where she struggled to meld the American dream with her ethnic background. Finally, at age 50, she dares to move into the present and understand the true nature of dreams and what it means to live.

Spanning continents, generations, immigrations, cultural changes, and social movements, The Golden Mountain is the deeply inspiring tale of a woman claiming her power.

©2004 Irene Kai (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Superficial and too long

I love books about China, and this family saga sounded interesting, but it did not turn out to be. It at times was simply a straightforward narrative of one event after another, rarely delving into the characters' feelings. Rather momentous events would just be passed over - one minute people were getting married, next sentence they had teenagers. The same story is told from many people's point of view, but it is no more interesting the second time around. A big disapointment.

Sent me to sleep

I was looking forward to this book, as I love novels about China. However, I found the writing amateurish and the story dull. I failed completely to sympathize or empathize with the author - in fact the book seemed totally devoid of likeable characters. The book seemed interminable: possibly an abridged version would better retain the reader's attention. A big disappointment.

The Golden Mountain

Awful- hard to follow and not interesting or believable enough to hold your interest

Gripping? No. Soporific? Yes.

Need a sleep aid? Well, then, consider this dry, barely nuanced recital of the lives of 4 generations of Chinese women. I love books about China, by Chinese authors, about Chinese subjects, and historical and contemporary women. The Golden Mountain seemed tailor made for me, and I boldly ignored the first three reviews.
I was wrong. They were right. Would that I could retrieve the 5 hours I wasted before I (gasp) stopped listening.