The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 5 March 1998
by Amy Tan
In a cross-cultural story of a Chinese-American girl, grown up with her confusing and energetic full-Chinese half-sister, Tan covers a lot of territory. Olivia lives in San Francisco. Thirty or so years ago, after her father's death, her American mother, disingenuously swearing to honor the family name, brings the long-lost half-sister into the family. Kwan is enthusiastic and is full of tales of ghosts. Olivia is confused by Kwan's mystery, and she is cruel to Kwan in her impatience with her unquestioning devotion. Throughout the years, to the point where Olivia is having serious marital problems, Kwan relates a story of the deep past. Olivia doesn't pay much attention to these imaginary ghost stories, but when they travel to China, a mysterious and tragic story comes full circle. Kwan suddenly seems to be a kind of spirit-guide to Olivia, reminding her of her cultural roots. Tan tells Olivia's story with realism and without a lot of romance. Her telling of Kwan's story is more in her own words than the character's, and it is a little confusing at first. Still, the two tales are interwoven in a magical way that is a pleasurable effort to disentangle.