The Valley of Amazement - Softcover

Tan, Amy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388

Publisher: Harper Large Print, 2013

Synopsis

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.

About this title

Review:

"Here are strong women struggling to survive all that life has thrown at them, created by a writer skilled at evoking the roil of emotions and made exploits they experience when they follow their hearts."--New York Times Book Review

"[THE VALLEY OF AMAZEMENT is] akin to her earlier work, yet more sophisticated, and a fine reminder that Amy Tan is herself a master of illusion, and one of the best storytellers around."--NPR

"Tan's beautiful, seamless prose presents fans with a true sense of time and place, catching them up in the heartbreaking tragedy of the plot... Tan's creativity is always a force, and in this epic tale her ability to captivate shines."--Romantic Times

"[Tan's] fans will appreciate the book's multigenerational narrative and compelling look at a society in which men held the power but women gave each other strength."--More magazine

"This is an Amy Tan novel, so its heart is the push-pull of mother-daughter relationships... The journey with Violet, her mother and her daughter is one of separate winding paths, each woman struggling to reach the light."--USA Today

"With THE VALLEY OF AMAZEMENT (Ecco), Amy Tan reaffirms her reputation as a master storyteller, creating intriguing settings, unforgettable characters, and twisty plotlines."--O, the Oprah Magazine

"Amy tan creates another stunning portrait of mothers and daughters."--St. Paul Pioneer Press

"In her new novel, Tan ditches her magic realist fugues and enters a brutal landscape of Shanghai courtesans, exploring it with new depths of tenderness and pain."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Amy Tan's new novel THE VALLEY OF AMAZEMENT is a long and luxurious read, offering riches on almost every page... Tan laces her story with colorful characters... a little comedy, enough tragedy, and plenty of passion and historical detail."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Vivid, compassionate, and expertly done... Tan has crafted characters so realistic they seem to breathe and a tense world that will keep readers on the edge of their seats for all 589 pages."--Bustle

From the Back Cover:

Shanghai, 1912. Violet Minturn is the daughter of the American madam of the city's most exclusive courtesan house. When political upheaval separates Violet from her mother, she is forced to become a "virgin courtesan." Half-Chinese, half-American, Violet grapples with her place in the worlds of East and West--until she merges her two identities to become a shrewd courtesan, though privately she still struggles to understand who she is. San Francisco, 1897. Violet's mother chooses a disastrous course as a sixteen-year-old, following a Chinese painter to Shanghai, where she finds herself shocked by her lover's adherence to Chinese traditions.

Fueled by betrayals, both women refuse to submit to fate, persisting in their quests to recover what was taken from them: respect; a secure future; and love, from their parents, husbands, and children. An evocative narrative of the 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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Large Print
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0062223380
• ISBN 13: 9780062223388
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 928