China Books

I love Pearl Buck's books. She is so adept at taking the reader right into a foreign world and making it understandable. One begins to see how we are all really the same underneath our outward appearances and social customs. In this book, wealtlhy Madame Wu changes the course of her entire family's lives because of her strong desires to ultimately satisfy self. At first, her actions appear to be somewhat self-sacrificing in a certain way. Some readers may find her attitudes and actions quite modern, but there are far-reaching consequences to those actions and one wonders how selfless those actions really are in the end. I found the surprise turn in Madame Wu's relationship/feelings for the exiled priest to be a bit far-fetched for a wealthy Chinese woman of her time, but life can take odd twists and turns. To me this book is a moral tale of actions and consequences. I do not belive she or her family were better off in the end in spite of her taking over the care of the priest's orphans. Very interesting reading...food for thought.

The movie was good but it doesn't follow the book and the book is much better.

I would have never picked this book up if it weren't for my book club. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down till I was finished with this book. It is a very moving and thoughtful book ~~ opening my eyes to something else that I would have never thought of reading.

This book is about Madame Wu, who decided to retire from married life at the age of 40. She suggested a concubine for her husband as she believes very strongly that his needs need to be met ~~ just not by her. Her excuse is that she didn't want to bear any more children, but that is just a public excuse, one she offered to everyone who asked. The truth is, she didn't love her husband and wanted to retire from that part of her marriage. Needless to say, it unsettled the entire family ~~ even the concubine was unsettled. It reverberated throughout the entire book till the very end, when everyone seems to have moved onto their own problems.

This is a book on a busy wealthy Chinese family. It is about traditions and ideas, non-traditions, love and finding purpose in life. It is about family relationships between father, son, mother, son, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, friendships, and even between mistress and servant.

Madame Wu never thought she'd find peace and happiness till one of her sons' instructors came along. He was a Jesuit priest and they struck up a friendship based on conversations (which she remembered after his death). He literally changed her life and thought process. From being a woman who always did what she was told, she was liberated to being a free-thinking woman who strove to find peace in her soul.

It is a book that I would recommend to all readers ~~ and it is definitely a book for a book club to discuss! It is a timeless classic novel ~~ and definitely a great introduction to an author that I have heard about but never have read. I can't wait to read her other books!

3-30-07

Wow. I find Pearl Buck to be an author that really holds my attention, and write about complex characters that I don't really always like, but in the end, because of the author's writing and vision, I come to see them as really complex human beings.

This book, in particular, I think is really spiritual. I really wish that I had a book group to discuss this book with. At the beginning, I didn't really care for or understand the main character, Madame Wu. She decides after her 40th birthday party, that her husband can have a concubine and that she can turn inward. In the beginning, this is really quite a difficult concept for me, but in a way, it's also very liberating. It's a form of birth control for her, and also a way to keep her husband satisfied. In the end, Pearl Buck, as an author, really shows this woman to be very multidimensional, and I feel, quite spiritual and not so superficial as I think she starts out to be.

In the background, there are daughter in laws who are more liberated than Madam Wu, and the chafe at the idea of a concubine. They are too modern for that and would not stand for having a concubine in the house. Some of this is quite historical fand relates gently to the communist revolution. Also it is showing generational differences and lack of understanding between generations. In the end, Madame Wu, I feel , is far more liberated than her daughter in laws, no matter how modern they are.

There is also a DVD of this story, and I think the DVD cover is on the book cover that I read. If it shows a white man in an embrace with a Chinese woman, as if they were about to kiss, I want to warn you that this Hollywood image is not really the book at all. And in fact, that picture does not occur in the book either. Really, that image is an abomination of the book.

I do know, by reading Pearl Buck, why she is a Nobel prize winner in writing. For me, it's this. She helps you to see characters (people) that you might really hate or disagree with in real life as real, very multifacted people. And though I might not always come to agree or fully care about her characteres, through her writing, I will learn to understand and respect them more than I would have if I had not read the book. And more than that, Buck weaves in real history and fact and makes is very interesting.

Please read her books. You won't be disappointed.

After reading and thoroughly enjoying her novel, "Pavilion of Women" (written in 1948), it was not difficult for me to understand why Pearl S. Buck earned the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature in 1938. As a natural storyteller, Buck allows one to enter the heart and mind of her main character, the beautiful and accomplished Madame Wu, so fully and painlessly by using simple explanations that seem so effortlessly illumined that they transcend the cultural differences of a mid 20th century China and allow this magnificent multi-dimensional creation to speak as a fully flesh and blood universal woman.

As the title suggests, the plot revolves around the day to day happenstances of the oppressed `pavilion of women' that provides a wealthy Chinese gentleman's `happiness' in the form of siring future generations and keeping him pleasured as befits his rank as lord and master. Madame Wu, the one and only wife, on the day of her fortieth birthday decides quite calculatingly to acquire a concubine for this husband whom she has never loved, allowing her to rid herself within the complicated etiquette of the Chinese upper class of the burden of servicing her husband conjugally. As the mother of four sons, in her eyes and in the eyes of society, she fulfilled her duty as a wife. Fully knowing that she will continue to oversee the management of all who live under her domain, she nevertheless anticipates her retirement with relish, planning to read and self-educate herself within the confines of her father-in-law's well-stocked library. As a mother and mother-in-law, she must tactfully and eloquently steer her sons and daughters-in-law towards a rich and satisfying future in a newer less understood world while still buttressing the Chinese family infrastructure to continue what she herself withholds as traditionally correct.

As China plummets towards modern thinking and communism, Madame Wu discovers that she must make concessions. Thinking to arrange the marriage of her broader-minded third son, she hires an unconventional Italian priest, Brother Andre, to teach languages and the known sciences to better endow her Fengmo with the intellectual assets he now needs to captivate a more progressive bride.

Instead, the self-disciplined Madame Wu finds that she is mesmerized by the foreigner's gentle persuasiveness. With him she explores the idea of the soul and its ever pressing quest for freedom and realizes that throughout her life thus far she played the role of a wise albeit voyeuristic manipulator rather than that of thinking and feeling woman. Her gentle yet intense spiritual love for Andre reinforces Madame Wu's innate strength and enables her to make free, wise and joyous decisions that bring a warm happiness to the inhabitants under her domain.

Bottom line: While the storyline moves along nicely, what makes "Pavilion of Women" an absolute pleasure to read is the clarity of Madame Wu's portrait that Buck allows us to form first from the inner workings of Madame Wu's mind and then from the soaring aspirations of her soul as it communes with that of Brother Andre. Buck's language flows from one `pavilion' event to the next; her style is relaxed and easy to read, the development of Madame Wu's identity both believable and beautiful. Highly recommended for its ability to entertain and depict an alien culture.

Diana F. Von Behren
"reneofc"

my how amazing this book is just goes beyond any human comprehention i am wiccan and i must say that this book has helped me learn of other riligions simmiler to mine and the rituals are grate.
(pleas excuse my spelling lol)

I can certainly appreciate the excitement that a lot of readers have expressed about this book--I felt the same way when I read it years ago (the book was first published in 1978 as *The Teachings of Taoist Master Chuang*). But I was schocked to see that the book has been reprinted, because, to put it mildly, it was not very favorable received in academic circles. Now, for many readers, this won't mean a thing, and may in fact be a mark in the book's favor. That's cool. But if you are interested in the history of Daoism, or in good ethnography, then you may want to read an old (and infamous) review article on this book, published in 1980. It's called "History, Anthropology, and Chinese Religion." [Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 40, No. 1. (Jun., 1980), pp. 201-248.] This is an *extremely* harsh review of the book, and in many ways a petty one. But it makes many damning points. For example that Saso gets his history very wrong. But perhaps more importantly, he does some strange things for an ethnographer, like introducing material from the published Daoist canon for Master Chuang to comment on--material that Chuang had never seen. This calls into question just what kind of Daoism Saso is learning, in the book. But, it's an exciting book, it gives some views of Daoism that are valuable, etc. Just FYI, caveat emptor, etc.

This is a real useful book. The beauty of it is that it gives us a deep look at the actual life of a Taoist master. Not a god, and not a perfect person, but a serious and committed Taoist who spent a lifetime practicing Taoism. That's a lot different from the average Taoism book, which is long on the vague restatement of philosophic theory and short on specific application of such theory. Want application? Here it is.

This is a totally unique book in that it provides copious details as to how a Taoist priest actually functions. Not theory but an actual diary of sorts. That's unique. For anyone who wants to go beyond the beautiful words of the ancients and discover how Taoists apply them, this is the book for you. That's important.

I give it my full support, and all 5 Stars.

TAOIST MASTER CHUANG (c. 2000) by Michael R. Saso, is a book of Taoist religious ritual and liturgy to control and exorcise evil spirits as practiced by the grade four Cheng-i Meng-wei sect (One Auspicious Alliance) priest, Master Chuang. The author, Professor Michael R. Saso, acted as a "participant/observer" on Taiwan as he recorded the style of magic from the Ch'ing-wei sect (The Heavenly Pilot, a Tantric Taoist order from the Tang Dynasty), from manuals originally in the collection of Wu Ching-ch'un, and as interpreted and practiced by Master Chuang.

The book TAOIST MASTER CHUANG contained the interesting 4th century Mao shan sect (Highest Purity Order of the Yellow Court Canon) rituals of the Tao of the Left black magic (Chapt. 4) and the Orthodox rituals of the Tao of the Right 'Thunder Magic' (Chapt. 5); and instructions of the use of the 'Lu' which is a register of spirit names. The Heterodox Tao of the Left black magic emphasized rituals to summon the six evil chia spirits; while the Orthodox Tao of the Right used 'Thunder Magic' to deflect those spirits. And the ritual of the 'chiao', bringing the priest into direct contact with the Tao itself, was explained to be dependent upon fasting, and a diet of simple foods, whole grains, and vegetables to alter the body's internal alchemy to become receptive to the required ritual. Also included were the drawn Talismans, finger-formed Mudras, and the chanted Mantras of all Ch'ing-wei sect rituals.

The book TAOIST MASTER CHUANG revealed that esteem and validity amongst Taiwanese Taoist priests seemed to rely on the possession of antique manuals, and that priests were constantly stealing each others books to gain knowledge of the name and descriptions of different spirits and the talismic charms and mantric incantations to control them; plus how to learn to perform various funeral and birth rituals. It appeared that being a Taoist priest in Taiwan was no different than any other vocation and individuals fell on Taoism as a means of making a living.

The subject of the book, Master Chuang Teng-yun (Chuang who ascends the Clouds) despite his alcoholism and bad temper, was a first rate expert on Meng-wei orthodox Taoism and a conscientious adherent to all the proper liturgy and rites of Ch'ing-wei Thunder Magic. Master Chuang was also one of the few advanced ordained Taoist priests on Taiwan who knew how to perform the rituals properly. Such as the dance of the Ho-T'U at the end of the Chiao festival which would bring the priest in direct contact with the Tao itself! Or the proper interpretation of the eight trigrams of King Wen; the Lo-shu (the octagon design you see on placemats at Chinese restaraunts).

Regardless of any scholastic short-comings, the book TAOIST MASTER CHUANG is an important work for the lay student of escoteric religious Taoism, contained a great depth of information which will require several readings, and should be read in conjunction with 'SEVEN TAOIST MASTERS: A Folk Novel of China'(c.1990) by Eva Wong

In addition to everyone's positive comments, I'd like to add that my now 6-year old daughter has enjoyed this book for over two years now. She doesn't like to have too many books read to her more than once, but likes to hear Ruby's Wish when we can't think of anything else. I think we're up to at least ten times now! She's a Chinese-Japanese American who likes how Ruby overcomes everyone's (low) expectations of girls' academic achievement, her love of bright colors, and her inner strength! I'm looking forward to my daughter reading the book to me soon.

The book Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, takes place a long time ago in a city in China. A rich man married many wives and had over one hundred children. So since he had so many children he hired a teacher. Girls never really learned how to read and write. That's why girls had to work extra hard. The girls were supposed to just learn how to cook and keep house. All girls stopped going to class accept for Ruby. Ruby wrote a poem that her teacher and her grandfather were impressed with. She wanted to go to university than get married. So when she got older her grandfather gave her a red packet. When she opened it, it was a letter from a university saying they would accept her as one of there first female students

Ruby is a fantastic student she had the best calligraphy in her class. Even when all the other girls stopped going she stayed.

Ruby really wants to learn. Shirin Yim Bridges wrote, "When the boys had finished there studies for the day, they were free to play." "But the girls had to learn how to learn about cooking and keeping house. Ruby wanted to go to university even though it was unusual for girls to do that.

Ruby is a really hard working person. She chose to go to school because if she didn't want to she didn't have to. Ruby had to work hard since she was a girl. She worked so hard she was accepted to university.

By Jesus

Our six year old daughter really likes this book. It has a great message and darling pictures.

I loved this book! Ruby is a Chinese child living in China with her very large family. As a child, she knew that she was destined to marry, like all the females in her family, but she really wanted to
go to the university. It is a childrens' book with beautiful illustrations. There is a special little twist at the end that makes the story even more endearing to the reader. We have given it as a birthday present to a few of my 5 year old daughter's classmates, as well as to her teachers for a year-end present. We highly recommend this book!

Set in turn-of-the-century China, young Ruby wants to go to school, but tradition holds that only boys get an education - hence the title, _Ruby's Wish_. The artwork is beautiful, with abundant details, but the book's strength is the story itself and the morals of the value of an education and working for what one desires. The ending is also very sweet. Particularly recommended for young girls.

the title attracts you, the rest will surprise you, and may lead to a very different understanding of power...

I bought this book not knowig what to expect. I just did a lookup on Leadership and it came up. Then I thought, what not.
What I found was the Tao! A philosophy that is life changing; I recommended this wonderful translation by R.L. Wing to anyone who wants to see truth. It is the best translation that I have read of the Tao Te Ch'ing.

It is a perfect read for getting ready for work. Gives me a sense of calm and purpose.

I bought an older edition of this book years ago, and its time I pay tribute to the author for his remarkable work. Like many others, I have read several versions of the Tao Te Ching, and I think R L Wing's The Tao of Power is definitely the best, quite simply because his commentaries and explanations are easy to understand yet sharp and to the point. Wing's commentaries are so good that the reader will be inclined to read them first, before going through the original text of the Tao Te Ching.

Quite frankly, I think Wing's interpretation of this Chinese classic should be required reading at every school.

I also have Wing's other book - The Art of Strategy, which is Sunzi's Art of War, again nothing but praise. I've been searching more of Wing's books over the years, I sincerely hope he keeps up his excellent work and release more books.

The author of Tao Te Ching can never be found out with a hundred percent surety. But what is said is important not the one who said it. Tao Te Ching is basically a book that has great philosophical depth. Only religious books like "Bhagavad Geeta", "The Bible", "The Quran", "The Dhammapada" come close to Tao Te Ching. I personally feel The Bhagavad Geeta comes closest to this work. It is always a good idea to read these books in comparison.When you read the books in comparison, you will understand what the books are saying. What is clear in one book may not be clear in the other or vice-versa. Or you might find it easier to understand in another book. For example, there is a line in Tao Te Ching That says "Act without action." It needs great insight to explain that line. The Bhagavad Geeta speaks of acting without expecting reward. It should be understood that Lord Krishna or whoever wrote the Geeta is not talking about philanthropy. It is to act from a state where the one who is acting does not exist but the action goes through him. And since the actual "actor" does not exist he is not worried about the result or reward. I request you to read the books, "Tao Te Ching" { R.L. Wing's version is very good.} The Bhagavad Geeta { Paramahansa Yogananda's Translation is very good } & Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi (Penguin Books). I am sure you will never regret buying these books and if you read them properly they will change the way you look at the world.

I love dim sum. But I'll never be able to take my family to a dim sum restaurant because two of my sons have peanut allergies. I like cooking, so I thought I would attempt to make the things I liked best myself, so my kids could experience it.
I think this book is a gem. I really thank the author. She does not bite off too much in this nice little book-- yet many things are there, and many of the dishes I love. I am a busy mom, so I appreciate that she lists at the beginning dishes that can be prepared ahead and frozen without losing anything from them. I like that mostly the ingredients are things I can find in the local supermarket or organic food store. I like (as a healthcare professional who is trying to feed her family healthy food) that there are a variety of cooking methods used-- including steaming and baking and boiling, not solely frying. (although I must confess that I got a deep fryer, and things fried came out nicely too.) Her sample menus at the beginning have a nice balance of flavors, textures, and techniques. (I made a meal with one fried thing, baked pork buns, steamed fish dumplings, and greens. Just right.) My children love the "Chinese food"-- I fed them some tonight for my five year olds' birthdays. this was made easier by having some frozen ahead. I find the author's recipes clear and scaled for a reasonable amount so the cook does not make too little or (just as bad) find herself tired out with fifty more dumplings to go. (Many things make about 24. We're a family of 6 plus a baby, so that's good for now.) I am thinking about who else in my family might enjoy this cookbook. The drawings are beautiful and even relaxing to look at, too. Thank you for writing this book.

A friend has a copy of this book and last night we made the potstickers. Not only were they incredibly easy to make, the illustrations made it a snap to learn the 'fan fold' to make the dumpling pocket. The final product was as good, or better than I've eaten in many restaurants! Can hardly wait to buy my own copy of the book and try MORE recipes!!

I not only loved this as a cookbook but also for the stories that are recounted throughout.

I have loved Dim Sum from my first experiences in Singapore and wanted to try something at home that was more creative than normal. I have already tried 8 of the recipes with varying success (through NO fault of the book - only my lack of practice creating some of the delicate folds in the wheat starch dough).

Couple of hints:
1) Practice, practice, practice
2) Before doing a full meal, there is a resources section at books end that has great suggestions for combinations that can mostly be made ahead.
3) Finally - if you really want to do alot and often, invest in multiple bamboo steamers. I just purchased my fifth and sixth. Dinner table now reminds me of Dim Sum houses from my past...

Never thought I would make my own potsticker dough, but I did! The dough was easy to make and to work with; and it tastes so much better than the Wonton wrappers they have in the supermarket. This book inspires you to try the recipes. Clearly written and illustrated. Highly recommend it to add to your library!

Ellen Leong Blonder, Dim Sum: The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch (Clarkson Potter, 2002)

So we need another dim sum cookbook? Yeah, I think we do, if only because Ellen Leong Blonder does something completely different with this one. You're used to cookbooks with mouthwatering pictures of the food therein (pictures which, of course, your dishes will never look like). Blonder just takes away the pictorial-realism layer of the artificiality and substitutes really, really detailed watercolors. Ironically, the paintings look a lot more like food you could actually make in your home kitchen; there are no fancy backdrops, no hundred-dollar table settings, there's just food on a plate (and Blonder reserves her detail for the food; the plate could be anything). The watercolors alone are reason enough to buy this, but when you do, you will magically gain the ability to make your own steamed dumplings. Well, okay, it's not magic. I've made steamed dumplings before, and I'll tell you, it's a boatload of work even if you use store-bought wrappers (Blonder, of course, offers up a dough recipe). But you'll know how to make them, even if the dumpling fairies won't come and make them for you. And there are few things in life better than a good steamed dumpling. (And many of them are also to be found in the pages of this book.) ****

I assigned this book to all of my 9th and 10th grade English students. I have never before seen students so eager and motivated to read a novel. All of my students are energized about reading and are excited to read their next novel. I would recommend this novel to anyone- student or adult.

I could not put this book down.
It is written so well that you are literally transported to China.
A survival story not to be missed.

Chi Fa is orphaned as a very young boy. Throughout his childhood, he goes from family to family many different times. He is abused and often goes hungry. He is not unkind, though, and is respectful of others. His problems do not affect how he treats others or lives his life. In the end, his dream comes true and he makes a good life for himself. This is a story of determination. It inspired me and made me realize that one can rise above tragic circumstances; dreams can come true. I recommend this book to anyone who needs some inspiration.

Growing up in Communist China was not easy, especially for Lu Chi Fa. "Double Luck" is a memoir throughout his days as an orphan in Communist China, moving around all his life. Chi Fa's parents died when he was very small, and he never had a real home when he was in China. Chi Fa's sister was the one of the two adults in his family who cared for him and his safety, but she could not have him stay at her house, and tried to give him to other family members. He would leave his temporary house after his temporary guardians were bored with him and was tossed around the family until he was sold to communists. His life was hard and grueling with guardians who beat him, harsh living conditions, near death moments, begging on the streets, and many more tearful stories. This is a remarkable story; every one should hear the tale of Lu Chi Fa.

Thinking that he would never have a real home to live in forever, he first learns of "America," the place where you "Eat three meals a day" and "are too full to complain." After hearing of this wondrous land, he envisions such a place and tries to find ways to get him closer to it. When he was living with his brother, he worked at a station for US soldiers to rest and retire. This gave him an understanding for the language and a happy feeling that he would soon live in this "amazing country." After back breaking and heart stopping moments, he finally sees his dream come true many years later. On each page the author would give, in great detail, a small portion of the story that put you right into the book. Each chapter was either one year or one day of his life, all teaching him methods on how to survive. And with each chapter came a sad ending as well. The way the author kept each story alive is remarkable, like he was there at each time and whispering what was happening while you were hiding in the shadows. This book is like no other.

I loved reading this memoir, it is above many other books I have read. "Double Luck" is a story that can not only entertain, but teach. This book must be the best story that anyone can read no matter how old you are. After you read each chapter, I cannot begin to tell you how thankful you feel. Thankful for the house you live in, the bed you sleep on, the food you eat, and the family who cares for you. I truly loved this book with each passing page and couldn't wait for what would happen next. I admired the way that the book described his stories in a way that put you right in the book. I also feel that it is necessary to tell about the plot itself. This book could never have a look alike, it is to unique and personal to copy. This is a book that gets you hooked in and is hard to put down. After all, growing up in Communist China could never be easy.

Double Luck was an outstanding book that describes the troubles and dangers on the childhood of Lu Chi Fa as he tries to be free and escape from Communist China. Double Luck clearly describes the terrible childhood he had as he was a slave to Communists, beaten constantly from guardian to guardian,and face almost certain death. The true beauty of this book is that after all this happened and how little kindness he was shown he still looked back on his life and thanked every person he had met because it had taught him bravery and determination. Double Luck is truly a must read!

This is quite simply the best memoir I have ever read, and as a professional writer myself, I've read a lot of them. It deserves to be considered in a class with America's greatest storytelling.

Fan Shen writes in an understated, no-holds-barred, external style that is in some ways reminiscent of his literary heroes: London and Stendhal, to name two. Like Martin Eden and The Red and the Black, this is a story of the struggle of the individual against the system. And what a struggle! No slow internal musing over small questions here - this is a pedal-to-the-metal ride through China's bloodiest and most oppressive modern period, told in one shocking life event after another, and emotions bend all the more powerfully by racing to keep up.

With increasing personal, moral, and ethical risks as Fan struggles to develop an individual identity and freedom from oppression in a country where individualism is anti-revolutionary and a capital offense, this is a page-turner that you may never forget - with a beautiful love story at its heart.

I think this is perhaps the best memoir I've read by someone who survived the infamous Chinese Cultural Revolution. Many other authors have tried to capture the chaos and pain it has caused them, but Fan Shen outdoes them all. I'm glad he told his story, or other people would never know how horrible things really were at that time. Each chapter in this book is captivating, and its hard to put it down. It is also extremely sad, and at the end of the book you wish you knew Fan Shen so you could at least talk with him and give him a hug. :(

A fascinating look inside the chinese mindset. A must read for anyone who wants to know about the crazy history of the Red Guard, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Also provides a great insight into how the chinese operate today. Fan Shen tells a story that will stick with you as you purchase your next "made in China" item.

I spent about 8 months reading Dr. Shen's book -- not because it bored me, and not because it was overly long. This is just one of those books that needs to be savored in order to be properly enjoyed. It's also one of those books that you really don't want to finish.

Savor it. :)

This is the story of a boy who, from a revolutionary family, eagerly joins the Red Guards at the outset of the Cultural Revolution. As Fan Shen comes of age, he realizes that the Cultural Revolution is a disaster and this book is the story of his attempt to find a way to achieve an acceptable life.

It is readily apparent that Fan is a very clever fellow as well as an intellectually gifted individual. The tales that he recounts are alternatively horrifying, sad, depressing and humorous. As he tells of his experiences, the reader can only imagine the horrors of the Cultural Revolution when you multiply his experiences by the 800 million or so others who lived through the same era.

Fan is a wonderful author and can tell a story exceedingly well. At times, however, the reader is left wondering whether we are actually getting an accurate recounting of Fan's earlier years. The stories he tells are truly beyond belief and, at times, seem to be a bit self-serving. Whether or not this is the case, the book deserves a read by anyone interested in China today or in recent Chinese history.

This important and long-needed book supports and facilitates the telling of the child's adoption story with the young child's participation. Every adoption involves loss. The most profound loss for the child is the loss of the birth mother. The book guides the adoptive parent and the child to her presence, illuminating the birth mother in images, realizing her in words, bringing her into the light of their world. An essential gift to aid the life-long journey of understanding for both parent and child.

Becky M.
Mom to two daughters from China

Even as a child, memories of my past from long ago and thousands of miles away would catch me off guard. I might have been playing with Barbie dolls with my friends, and suddenly, I would remember, walking along in a dusty, yellow marketplace with my father, along the busy streets of Seoul. But it was mostly at nighttime, when the world was asleep, that my mind reverted to my childhood, a different childhood, a life that seemed to belong to someone else.

Whether we travel in our own quiet spaces of our mind to a place that was once our home or physically trace our paths back to where our lives began, for adoptees, the journey is one that many of us make. Such journeys are the subject of We See the Moon.

Author Carrie Kitze beautifully captures the simple, yet haunting thoughts that many adoptees may share. Her writing is fleeting and poetic, like clouds, that float across our minds with questions of one's past:

I was born
In a faraway land,
of parents
With faces in the shadows.
Where are you now?

For many adoptees, the person who gave birth to us seems like a complete stranger, so different from us in every way. But all the differences in the world are bridged by the metaphor of the moon, which as the title of the book evokes, is constant and comforting. The moon connects us to our past and present, and no matter where we are, we see the same moon.

All I need is to look
at the moon in the night sky
and think of you.

The simple text leaves wide spaces for thought on each page, and each phrase or question is echoed beautifully by the colorful and mesmerizing Jinshan Peasant Paintings. As described in the book, these paintings were first painted by older women skilled in various folk arts that had been passed down through generations in Jinshan County near Shanghai, China. The primitive looking paintings, in which tempera paint is mixed with chalk, are simple, bright and childlike, each depiction carefully telling its own story.

We See the Moon is a book to be shared, to open conversations, and to delicately unfold the questions that many adoptees secretly hold. By creating this beautiful book, Kitze has confirmed for all of us that although the journey to our past feels lonely, it can be shared with loved ones. Her carefully chosen questions and phrases may evoke memories or for others, lead to more unanswered questions.

This review first appeared in Korean Quarterly, Winter 2003/2004 www.koreanquarterly.org

Adopted children crave connection with the birth parents, much like a starving man craves food. This doesn't mean that the adoptee loves the adoptive parent any less--it is an inborn, innate need. Carrie provides a way for the adopted child to feel that much-needed sense of connection with the birth family. She has seen adoption through the eyes of the adopted child--a very rare perspective these days! Thank you, Carrie, from one grateful adoptee.

This lovely book for young adoptees uses simple yet powerful words that shine moonlight on a child's most poignant thoughts and wishes. It is a book that I read aloud to my daughter from China and I was grateful for the words it gave me to open a talk with my daughter about her own feelings. The book's illustrations are vivid and eye-catching and very colorful; there is a lot of expression in both the prose and the paintings of this little book.

This powerful book designed for pre-teen children (adopted from China, other countries or domestically) begins with a poem about the Moon, the refrain of which is "please let the light that shines on me/shine on the one I love.

The author uses the Chinese family festival of the Moon to anchor the illustrations to her text and subtext. This is to enable and empower the adopted child in building a link between her two worlds and families, with the Moon high above becoming the spiritual as well as physical "light that shines on me and the one I love".

Many adoptive families find it hard to choose the right minute for showing their child that it is OK both to feel hurt by and yet still love their birth-family. The book achieves this both by the quality of the illustrations (showing how life IS in China at Moon time) and the easy richness of child-suited sparse but elastic text). Each one-liner of text carries with it questions - and a whole subset of questions which are ready to escape from the initial questions- that the child can ask. Parents and child can read together, read separately, it's of no matter. What matters is that the issue of love and honour of the past is brought into the safety of the adoptive family. For children the word "love" is means connection. The book allows this; and with this foundation the child can later go on to deal with ALL the other powerful emotions that come with losing birthfamily but gaining an adoptive one.

In addition to the text of the book, if that were not enough richness, EMK press presents a free Parent Guide to download from their website. This guide is written by the formidable social worker and writer/presenter of children's therapeutic activities, Jane Brown. Here, Jane underscores from her professional experience the NEED for children to be permitted connections to their past while IN their present family: fail them in this, and the child doesn't grow "whole".

I was personally overwhelmed by the wistful childishness of some of the text .... The child affirms the magic of the moon and wonders if her mother is "looking now?" I loved the positive that the child affirms her happiness in her new family and hopes her first family can sense that.

I loved the Jinshan illustrations. This painting academy specialises in naïve art, so the illustrations are both friendly-foreign, and entirely apt in their childlike perspective, a myopically child-centric view of the world. Here I use myopic, or short-sighted, in the sense that the child is ultra-focused on the aspects of living that matter.

I questioned whether the book would work for all kids, because some children, and I am adoptive mother to two such kids, don't have easy reactions to easy solutions for connections to loss. Was the book appealing to MY need for my children to be happy here, was I ignoring their need to know the harder facts of how they came to be abandoned? Was looking at the connection of love far too simplistic?

So I handed it to "the experts". The book's been tugged-of-war over, it's begged for and they are up looking for the Moon when they should be asleep. My children (aged 3 and 7) took it to their hearts... I am not sure exactly why, but I suspect that my children KNOW books are special. So ,for them, to hear things in a book that make OK hard feelings is "Double Happiness".

This is just one of those books that resounds and displays those essentials for children: symbols which elicit trust and peace in their quest for answers.

And I love it too. The moon is always there, even when it can't be seen. As are my children's connection to their first families.

I am deeply moved and impressed with this captivating work. THE SLASH BROKERS carries a powerful and troubling message and a wake-up call to Americans everywhere. It should be made into a movie, but unfortunately, its substance does not fall within the scope of things that excites Hollywood. Someone like a Steven Spielburg, however, just might see it as an exciting, highly-profitable, worthy, and even a noble undertaking. In my view, it would make a great movie that would draw gigantic numbers of church-going America -- and even many of those who seek to remove God from the fabric of our land. Jeff Barganier has put forth a timely effort to correct an awful moral wrong, and its message needs to find its way to the hearts and minds of us all.

I am deeply moved and impressed with this captivating work. THE SLASH BROKERS carries a powerful and troubling message and a wake-up call to Americans everywhere. It should be made into a movie, but unfortunately, its substance does not fall within the scope of things that excites Hollywood. Someone like a Steven Spielburg, however, just might see it as an exciting, highly-profitable, worthy, and even a noble undertaking. In my view, it would make a great movie that would draw gigantic numbers of church-going America -- and even many of those who seek to remove God from the fabric of our land. Jeff Barganier has put forth a timely effort to correct an awful moral wrong, and its message needs to find its way to the hearts and minds of us all.

The story grabbed me on the first page and kept me deeply involved through the final paragraph. I found it very easy to put myself in the main character's shoes as he began to understand the personal, then the global threat of the "Slash Brokers". It is terrifying to imagine that there are now or ever may be Slash Brokers dealing in human trade. This book is truly an alarming wake up call.

Jeff Barganier has written a fantastic book! The characters are believable and likeable. The story could be fact, which makes it more compelling. I could not put it down! I hope he writes another one soon!

I am amazed and in awe of the gift displayed by this author. What a way to expose the truth, through the light of rich storytelling!

Unfortunately, our blessed, free populous have dug ourselves so deep into a self-absorbed stupor, that we have allowed the enemy to blindfold our very existence.

I remember around the time I was in college (mid-50's to early 60's)that Russia proclaimed they would destroy us from within. I think it was Krueschev who stated that they would take over our media to feed us our own poison. Well today, I don't believe the media has any regard for truth, if such truth is in any way in conflict with it's programed agenda. (The Big Question - who created it's program?)

And our infamous Judiciary! How many years has it taken for our Federal Judiciary to become stocked with a sufficient number enemy-planted judges to do the amount of damage that we are now almost ready to give up our own Constitution. And how was this accomplished - with a few big lies, in the name of social justice, that out sleepy citizens appetites' have been pre-conditioned to follow. .

The fiction portrayed in The Slash Brokers is so real-like that the author's keen eye must have been exposed to many facets of "what goes on in our sleepy existence". What a gift to get it out this way.

Note the January 8, 1998 letter at the end of the book, which must be fact. It's crazy - if such a letter existed naming President Bush, instead of former President Clinton, the media would be all over it like flies on honey. But with Clinton's name in such a letter, it just doesn't fit into their agenda.

Rich in detail and rich in great storytelling, this book gives a compelling picture of where our great country is headed if we let the Slash Brokers to work their games, aided by fake politicians and other power brokers interested only in their personal power.

This book has helped call me to action. While I had some causes that would call me to action, from The Slash Brokers, I now know there are related causes (and perhaps non-related causes) that cry out for action to save our great country. I pray that whomever reads this book would be stirred to wake-up and help clean-up the mess we have allowed in our country.

Tony Di Guglielmo
tonyd@xicom.com

I stumbled upon this novel by chance, but it was well worth the read. I was hooked by the characters from the very beginning. It felt as though I was right alongside Beth and Dorje in their struggle to overcome cultural and emotional roadblocks in their lives. LeBlanc provided so many beautiful and descriptive images of a place that became very real to me, although I have never been to Nepal.

What a wonderful love story this book is. Not just a story of love between humans, but love for a region and love for a culture. The reader comes away with an understanding of the beautiful Sherpa people and a personal glimpse into their world. As I head to Nepal shortly, I do so with a better idea of the unique setting - a setting that provided such a magnificent backdrop to this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I love reading all kinds of books about Mount Everest. I read "Into Thin Air" and that immediately got me "hooked". However, this book really emphasized the importance of the sherpas and the difficult job they have to do in order that the climbers might achieve their dream. It is a beautiful love story.

This fictional story about the Sherpas of the Mt. Everest region of Nepal is highly entertaining and informative. I am planning a trek to Everest base camp and this book provided invaluable insight into my future experience. I have become very interested in the Sherpa culture, food, religion, etc. since reading this book. (Prayer flags fly from my balcony now). Linda does a good job telling about the Everest experience from the Sherpas point of view rather than the climber's. There are many books written about the climber's experiences but few about the Sherpa experience. The Sherpa have been gaining support from many who have visited their country. The love affair between a Sherpa and an American writer is thoughtfully threaded though the Everest and Sherpa fabric so that it is not overbearing. I enjoyed having a glossary of terms in the back. A must read for climbers and trekkers and all who love outdoor adventure.

There are many adventure/love stories but few that cover a world that is so remote and different from ours in the west. I could "see" the mountains, "hear" the yaks, "feel" the cold, and "long" for a love so deep.The story carries to you to the land of Everest and the Sherpas in an interesting and fast paced adventure. Although fiction, it seems as if these characters are somehow known to the author and may in fact be real people with the names changed for privacy. I dare you top begin and put the novel down once begun.