Diamond Head by Cecily Wong

This book is like a memoir of three different women. There's the eldest, who is rescued from an abusive father and marries a wealthy man who takes her from China to Hawaii. There's the middle, the poor girl who marries into the wealthy family, rising from a room in a basement that she shares with ten other children. And there's the youngest, pregnant and unmarried in the sixties--who didn't interest me at all because the book took too long to get to her story.

All the stories I did read could have been fascinating, but the narrative style rather ruined it all for me. The fascinating parts were told quickly--such as Hong's tale and the elder's tale of rescue. Hong was the most interesting to me, but she was only briefly there. Her bit was so intriguing, it could be a novel itself. I was disappointed her tale was told and then over so fast.

The problem I had with the narrative is that it goes all over the place, from person to person, China to Hawaii, time period to time period. And it's not always a smooth transition.

Besides that, the first person narratives are more telling than showing. The third person would have worked fine but it was used solely for the present-tense parts, the funeral, which was not interesting. There are secrets, about love, finances, babies, wives...but they are revealed so late, I'd lost interest by that point. The book is longer than it needs to be, more wordy that necessary, and while I appreciated that the novel tries to show bits of different cultures--Chinese and Hawaiian--it was overdescriptive to the point of boredom.

But I did like the red string theme/story. How their lives and their choices mimic or prove the tale of the red string.

Conclusion: I actually gave up at 75%, (maybe it got better at that point, but I lost patience) but I dedicated days to struggling with it, thus the review and rating. But most people are loving this one. Try it for yourself.

A Young Woman Chases China But Finds Love & Truth in Chasing China by Kay Bratt

I've read most of Ms. Bratt's books by now and I thought (quite mistakenly) that I couldn't possibly learn anything new about the Chinese adoption/child services. While her other stories def touch on the abuse of the system and the conditions of the orphanages, none of them really went into the details this story does. As the heroine travels to China to search for answers, readers learn about the orphanage systems: how they bathe the children, feed the children, how the sick doesn't get the healthcare they need, why they do some of the things they do that we may construe as abuse or neglect.

There's one scene in particular that really impacted me, in which we meet a young girl who was badly crippled on purpose for begging purposes. I'll never forget this. Ever.

Besides being educational, there's also an underlying feeling of suspense and at times, thrill. Mia's search for why she was abandoned as a baby leads to her hiding on a ledge six stories up while her room is ransacked and also takes her to a secret group called The Finders. I loved the mystery and the quest to get answers.

There's a romance, but it's very subtle, no "juicy" details. It's very clean and doesn't get very in depth.

And as normal with a Bratt novel, there's a moral, at least to me. Others may not read what I read. We all interpret things differently, but to me the moral was about how quick we are to assume the worst. For whatever reason, we may think we are not loved...and yet we couldn't be far from the truth. That's all I'll say about that.

Terrific read. Some minor irritations, such as change of tense/POV suddenly and just little things that I was a tad confused about at times.

I think this was a freebie on Amazon. I may have bought it. I don't remember. Sorry, FTC.

Bitter Winds (Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book Three) by Kay Bratt

Kay Bratt always has a moral in her stories. I'm noticing a recurring lesson...about bitterness. The story of Li Jin and Sami here is a prime example of what bitterness can do to us if we don't let it go. Li Jin lets go and finds happiness being surrounded by her family. Though surrounded by the same family, Sami is filled with bitterness and hate.

Why? Because she won't let herself be loved and will not let herself love others. You can't be hurt that way, right?

But through her story, we see that's def not the way to live.

I should probably mention what this book is about, eh? It's present-day China and one of the scavenger's daughters, Lily, gets arrested for begging and suspicion of following Falun Gong--a peaceful religion that China's gov't has banned. While her family tries to get her out, the story with Sami and Li Jin plays out.

I hated Sami. But as with the other Kay Bratt books, while I hated her, I also saw why she is the way she is. I understood her. Her hatred is a way to fight love--which in her experience only causes pain. If you don't care for anyone, nobody can hurt you. Her sleeping with men is in her eyes, a way of taking control. She's picking and choosing her lovers, at least. It is also the only way she FEELS, so hardened she is. Her story made me sad and left me with a bitter taste. I feel it's also unresolved, but...while I wish she'd received her HEA or at least changed into a better person, at the same time--I also hope we've seen the last of her.

But my favorite story is Lily and Ivy, the twins. Lily is blind and I totally "got her". She wants so badly to be independent. As a person with a handicap myself, I understood the dilemmas she was facing every day. Sometimes we need help, but then we feel like our helper isn't letting us do anything for ourselves. It's a fine line. Helpers often end up smothering us, and at the same time we, the disabled, come across as ungrateful, only wanting other people when we need them and then pushing them away when we feel smothered or frustrated by our lack of independence. Terrific story there. I hope people catch that.

And once again, Ms. Bratt has managed to educate me, about the Chinese mental health system and the gov't corruption, about the persecution of Falun Gong followers and their "re-education". *snort*

It's sad. Very sad. Thank you, Ms. Bratt, for making us aware of it. 

Well written, suspenseful, emotional. You love some of the people, hate some others, want to slap a few of them, shake your head at times, and always, always get wrapped up in their lives and troubles and walk away enlightened.

Favorite part: (Lily and Ivy are on a bus when a rude passenger makes a comment about Lily's blindness. This is Lily's reply.)

"Forget about her. What about you? They might be able to fix her eyes someday, but you're out of luck because they can't fix stupid."

LOL

I received this from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Red Skies (Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters) by Kay Bratt

This is a story of three incredible brave strong heroines.

Mari, the adult, learns to stand on her own two feet when she doubts she can do so and struggles through loss and blame. An Ni, a pre-teen, has strength to survive all kinds of pain--both physical and emotional. Part of a street gang, she faces difficulties many of us can barely imagine, and never gives in to defeat. Mei, an even younger girl, despite the trauma she's been through, not only has the strength to carry on, but also to carry the other two emotionally and when An Ni needs help, Mei is there for her and shoulders responsibilities no little girl should.

They are so amazing and each one pulled on my heartstrings. We could all learn something from these heroines.

But something else I loved about this book....let me find the words. Okay, I thought at first from the blurb, that this would be a romance. Most blurbs tell you a little something about the heroine and then a little something about the hero and you know they'll get together in the end and live HEA, right?

I wondered how Ms. Bratt was going to go about this with the heroine being married.

Boy, was I surprised. First of all, it's not a romance. It's a story of amazing friendship--you could even call it life-saving friendship--between two people who have a common goal of doing right by two little girls. They don't know it, but they've been brought together for a reason, and together, they must also learn a few life lessons: don't blame yourself and let go of bitterness.

Through all this: Max's depression, Mari's shocking life changes, An Ni's pain and doubt, and Mei's struggle to keep it all together, we also learn about China and some of its culture--their funeral customs, the government's twisting of facts and manipulation of journalism, the tension foreigners face if they ask too many questions. More than one journalist had been detained or jailed and charged with illegal activity for simply interviewing everyday people.

I appreciate this. I recently watched a dance show called Shen Yun and the performers and their agenda made me aware that there are problems in China today, that it didn't stop with Mao's reign--I credit Ms. Bratt's stories for educating me on that as well.

With this tale taking place in the big city, I saw and felt the tension between the lines--people's reluctance to involve the authorities, the government trying to twist the trafficking facts, silencing Max when they could...

This story also reminded me more than once of all I have and take for granted.

It wasn't easy to watch people going by on their way to protective and loving homes as you scurried into a dark hole somewhere, searching for warmth never to be found.

And as odd as this will seem, after reading this, I vow to be a better tourist!

Most of the foreigners she dealt with got frustrated and short tempered when they couldn't be understood or things didn't go their way. She'd seen more than one stomp away, cursing to themselves that they'd ever come to China, reactions usually brought about after they'd become winded while walking along the wall, or when too many souvenir hawkers had pushed them past their limits. What some didn't understand was the difference between selling five postcard packets or none might mean the difference between feeding family that night or going hungry.

I also loved and appreciated the underground tunnel bits. Fascinating!

Long review short: This is probably Ms. Bratt's finest book to date and considering I loved every single one of the Scavenger Daughter stories thus far, that's a compliment. You'll smile, cry, chew your fingernails with worry, and walk away more educated and enlightened than when you first started.

"They do realize, don't they, that they wouldn't be here if not for some little girl that grew up to be their mother?"

I received this from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Tangled Vines by Kay Bratt

I have one complaint right off the bat...this is part of a trilogy. Trilogy means there is only THREE books. I want a book for every single daughter!!

That being said, as you can see, book two of the Scavenger's Daughters did not disappoint me. I will admit to having a harder time with Dahlia's story because I can't stand women who allow themselves to be victimized by men...but, and it's a big but, the ending revealed some things about her life that made me understand her a whole lot better and she displayed amazing strength when I believe I would have crumbled. She is truly a phoenix rising from the ashes, this woman. She surprised me. I didn't like her at first, at all, but by the end of the book, I "got it".

Ms. Bratt once again lives up to her "brand" with this title. Capturing the heart of humanity. So many people in this book are horrid and cruel but each one is counteracted with a person who cares, who loves, who wishes to help, and we need to be reminded of that, especially nowadays. We need to remember for every bad, there's a good. This book should serve as a reminder to anyone who reads it that there is both good and bad in the world and also that there is always HOPE. I think the strongest theme this time was hope. Just when you think you've hit rock bottom...

The story in a nutshell: A continuation from book one, Linnae is running her own successful business now, the family is very proud, everything is fabulous, but her adopted parents still have a whole in their lives from the daughter they lost thirty years before. This is HER story, and it's one of heartache. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Linnae is determined to find Dahlia and reunite her with her biological parents. The story goes back and forth between Linnae and the family and Dahlia's tremulous situation. There's suspense, tears, and many a moral. Linnae realizes that "money, success, looks--all along she'd been thinking she needed all of it to be taken seriously, but now she was just wondering if maybe those were just icing on the cake."

And as I said above, from bad, from horror, often something good can be born. Perhaps we just have to open ourselves up to it? Not dwell on the negative. Take Dahlia for example. She could have chosen to hate the child born to her, due to the circumstances of its conception, but instead, she ended up with the best thing in her life.

Anyway, this story just gave me many deep thoughts such as that. I cannot wait to find out what happens to the other daughters. I wish they all had a book. Ms. Bratt, any way I can convince you to like, write nine stories? LOL

And I'd especially enjoyed the glimpses into Chinese life, the fortune teller, the food, some of the laws. I found this educational as well.

I received this from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Scavenger's Daughters (Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters #1) by Kay Bratt

This is a story full of morals and lessons, each one will touch a spot on your heart.


It begins with a boy...imprisoned, beaten, harmed, all because of his family background. All it takes is one act of kindness to change this boy's life and that of dozens of people. For when someone shows him this act of kindness, he vows he spend the rest of his life doing good for others.

The boy becomes a man, a trash collector. In China, daughters are discarded and abandoned a lot. He finds them in the trash and he keeps them, feeds them, clothes them, provides them as love as he can. With all these daughters, he's relegated to a life of poverty. They don't live like other people, but they have love. They have each other.

But what will happen to them all when he dies? He's very ill; he has no retirement, no savings; nobody is helping them.

The lessons that sum up beautifully in the pages...

-You can't judge a group as a whole by the actions of one or a few. There are bad and good in every bunch.
-Never let pride prevent from you getting help if it's needed and available. Don't deny those around you a better life because you can't bear to admit you need help.
-Karma happens. One good deed can change a life....as well as your own.
-One doesn't need material objects to have a fulfilling life.

Very well done and thought evoking. I truly felt as though I stepped in another world. Chinese customs and stories and revelations about Mao's reign and just how the Chinese live in general kept me absolutely entranced. My only quibble: I wish the book had told us more about the romance between Ye Ye and Nai Nai, but this is the first in a series. I imagine there may be a prequel in the future--at least I hope so.

Five bikes. I received an ARC via Amazon Vine.

Train To Nowhere by Kay Bratt

Mao's Red Guards and this time in China is not something I am familiar with so I learned a lot from reading this novelette. It was like walking into a new world.


Mao believed all people should share a kitchen, share everything, share money, share children...good intentions that ended up abused, perhaps?

Red Guards or bullies? Read this and form your own opinion. Besides giving us a look into history, it also makes one think about how political factions go too far, how power is constantly abused.

These kids--in the name of Mao--just sit on a train all the time, free of charge, forcing working people off or elsewhere, as they get free food and shelter. The heroine is being forced to join them for her own protection...but by the end, through a good friend she makes and a nasty twist of events, she realizes that being with her family is preferable--no matter the conditions.

Found what the friend does...a little too implausible and not satisfactorily explained, but this was a solid and informative read. I enjoyed it.

Four bikes. I bought this on Amazon.

The Bridge by Kay Bratt

This is a very moving and touching novelette. It spoke to me because I know what it feels like to be shunned by others, to be ostracized and ridiculed for having a disability. I felt for Fei Fei. His own mother abandoned him, and perhaps her intentions were good, to get him educated in a blind school, but still, unforgivable.


This takes place in China, not sure the era. An old woman who can barely feed herself, takes in a boy abandoned at the bridge. He's blind. She takes him to the orphanage and is dismayed to discover, he's treated like a baby, not the intelligent 5 year old he is. Nobody wants to or has the time to focus on a blind boy, to educate him. They just make him stay out of the way. How many of us with disabilities have faced this at some point in our lives??? Too many of us, too often.


To me, this story teaches that handicapped are not any less capable than others, that people judge too quickly, and that love isn't necessarily dictated by blood. Because the old woman falls in love with the little boy and even sells her last piece of jewelry to care for him. 


A beautiful story with a strong message and eloquent descriptions. It does need an editor, however. There were lots of discrepancies with tense usage and some odd word pairings. 


"As she watches, Fei Fei quickly ate the orange and sat quietly awaiting his next instructions."


Like that. 


Favorite quote: "...you must realize that the world is a very big place. You must keep an open mind and learn new ways to explore beyond what you already know."


Four stars and I got this on Amazon Kindle.

The Flowers of War by Geling Yan

Imagine a church, the attic full of Catholic schoolgirls, the cellar full of whores, and toss a few men in between them to feed them and maintain order...and you get chaos!


What I liked: Tell of the rape of Nanking in a better fashion than Nanjin Requiem did, IMO. Nanjin was far too brutal, like a listing of brutality after brutality... This story, though it rarely left the church walls, told what was going on inside and out. Inside, you got a bunch of ungrateful whores that have bullied their way into the church and expect it to be a 5 star resort and though it wasn't conveyed very well, there are romances flourishing.


And the girls upstairs are dealing with conflicting emotions, growing pains, and petty bickering.


The soldier and his scene at the mass execution... WOW.


What I didn't like: Something was muddled in the translation. Badly. Lots of telling, little showing, and a ton of head hopping. Also came off a bit cold. And I sure did hate those whores. 


In the end, it felt like a bunch of selfish people who didn't care that they were endangering other people. And sadly, that seems to be humanity.


Three stars. I got this from netgalley.

The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin

I read both Butterfly Swords and The Taming of Mei Lin and consider myself a fan of this author. Both historical romances took place during the Tang dynasty and those and this one are all very well written, a perfect blend of story and sex, of description and action. All three of them make me feel as though I have stepped back into the Tang dynasty into a world of warriors, swords, emperors, courtesans, paper lantern festivals, and danger.

This one is a bit different from the previous two, however. In Butterfly and Taming, the heroines were strong fighters, their weapons were their swords. In this one, the heroine, Suyin, is a former courtesan with a secret she could die over. Her weapon is her body. I must confess, though I loved how this was written and the above praise still stands, I preferred the first two books for that reason. I'm more into the warrior woman than courtesan thing. 


Suyin is Li Tao's captive. (He is from Butterfly. Readers will recognize him and get to know him better in this one... much better.) She feels an intense desire for him despite the circumstances, or maybe because of. There's something about a threatening war load.... Anyway, she agrees to surrender her body in exchange for his protection as someone wants her dead. But she ends up surrendering her heart as well and soon she is struggling to protect him more than herself and make him see the error of his war lord/anti emperor ways. 


The book is filled with hot sex (wish there had been some with that tattoo scene...) and thought these two don't fight with swords like the heroes and heroines in the previous novels, they fight with words. 


A good book bringing to life the Tang Dynasty. I liked it, just not as much as Butterfly and Taming. I love those fightin' females. :) 


Three stars and I got this from netgalley.


P.S. How about that cover??? Wow!

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

This is a pretty good read.  It's a fictional tale about a romance in the Mongol Empire between the young Marco Polo and a grandaughter of the Great Khan Khubilai.  Marco Polo is visiting Khan's Empire in hopes of winning the Emperor's favor and returning home and wonderful loot to trade.  Emmajin is a princess who wants to serve in the army and experience battle.  The Great Khan gives her an assignment:  Get close to Marco Polo and find out as much about his home country, Italy, as she can.  The Khan hopes to invade Christendom one day.


Emmajin takes her job very seriously but alas, spending a lot of time with Marco Polo leads to feelings that just may be love.  BUT what does she desire more, a position in the Khan's army or a forbidden, impossible love with a foreigner?  Choices, choices.  "What an impossible situation!  I had always been loyal to my Khan and my people, but now that loyalty required me to make an enemy of a man who was gradually becoming my friend."

Some very interesting bits of facts and history are incooperated.  I was intrigued by the catching of "dragons" for their gallbladders for medicinal purposes, the use of "rat fire," and the army's cutting off of enemies' ears for souveniers.  There's also a shocking story about cats on fire.  (No, I don't advocate animal cruelty, but really, this was a smart battle strategy.)

Life in the army is not all Emmajin expected though and soon her desire to experience warfare becomes a desire to experience peace.  How will her Marco Polo play into this? 

Thus, it's a tale about a girl finding herself, experiencing forbidden love, breaking male/female barriers, and experiencing loss.  I really didn't feel the "romance" between her and Marco, however.  Something was missing there.  I enjoyed the story, the conflicts, the battles, but the ending. . . it didn't fit.  I am hesitant to reveal too much information, but I will say I was left scratching my head.  I don't really see the Great Khan letting his maiden granddaughter just go on this "mission" far away with foreign men.  Also, I was left hanging on just how this "romance" was going to play out.  

Something of interest:  Throughout the novel and towards the end especially, Emmajin draws guidance from a Buddha goddess.  This goddess is sometimes portrayed as having a third eye and even eyes on her feet.  She is Tara the Protectress.  Tara.  A goddess.  Naturally, I love that. :) 

I received an ARC of this book for review purposes thanks to Good Golly Miss Holly blog tour.  Any quotes may be changed before publication.