Jing-Mei's mother's death opens the door to the past, present, and future for the three remaining women of the Joy Luck Club and their daughters, as well as her own, as they explore the events that made each of them who they are. In the process, they discover a new depth to their mother-daughter relationships, a new understanding of what it means to be Chinese and American and a woman. For Jing-Mei, the journey leads back into China to meet the sisters she never knew she had.
Impression: I enjoyed the movie, but still wasn't quite sure what to expect from the book since movies and books can be so different. In this case, however, the book was as enjoyable as the movie, primarily because they changed very little in the movie. The book is beautifully written. The characters come alive, their various thoughts and experiences are simply but elegantly told. Each has her own voice, clearly heard in each of the interconnected vignettes - there is no mistaking who tells each story. The novel reveals the profound connectedness these women have with each other and with their pasts, but also how they - and we - each have control over who they become despite the it all. Most of all, it shows how the bond of love can transcend misunderstanding. These stories didn't reveal everything about the characters, but they revealed enough to paint each in a colors and emotions that were very different from the others. They revealed what was important. I highly recommend this book and plan to read it again very soon.
