Helpful Score: 1
Truly a book to savor!
The basic story is a bit reminiscent of Anita Shreve's The Pilot's Wife: an American woman, Maggie is suddenly widowed and discovers that her husband had another life with another woman in a distant country. And therein lies the mystery - who is this other woman, and was her child really fathered by Maggie's husband? But this story takes the back seat to the love affair Maggie begins with Chinese cuisine - the descriptions of the food itself make this a book to savor! Don't gobble it down in one sitting, although you'll be tempted to.
The basic story is a bit reminiscent of Anita Shreve's The Pilot's Wife: an American woman, Maggie is suddenly widowed and discovers that her husband had another life with another woman in a distant country. And therein lies the mystery - who is this other woman, and was her child really fathered by Maggie's husband? But this story takes the back seat to the love affair Maggie begins with Chinese cuisine - the descriptions of the food itself make this a book to savor! Don't gobble it down in one sitting, although you'll be tempted to.
The situations the two main characters are in are beyond outlandish. They are so ridiculously improbable that it brings all the rest of the cultural background in this book into question. The book purports to show you the real China, but I can't help doubting that. So sorry!
