The Valley of Amazement

By: Amy Tan

Narrated by: Nancy Wu, Joyce Bean, Amy Tan

New York Times best-selling author of The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan brings us her latest novel: a sweeping, evocative epic of two women's intertwined fates and their search for identity - from the lavish parlors of Shanghai courtesans to the fog-shrouded mountains of a remote Chinese village

Shanghai, 1912. Violet Minturn is the privileged daughter of the American madam of the city's most exclusive courtesan house. But when the Ching dynasty is overturned, Violet is separated from her mother in a cruel act of chicanery and forced to become a "virgin courtesan." Half-Chinese and half-American, Violet grapples with her place in the worlds of East and West - until she is able to merge her two halves, empowering her to become a shrewd courtesan who excels in the business of seduction and illusion, though she still struggles to understand who she is.

Back in 1897 San Francisco, Violet's mother, Lucia, chooses a disastrous course as a sixteen-year-old, when her infatuation with a Chinese painter compels her to leave her home for Shanghai. Shocked by her lover's adherence to Chinese traditions, she is unable to change him, despite her unending American ingenuity.

Fueled by betrayals, both women refuse to submit to fate and societal expectations, persisting in their quests to recover what was taken from them: respect; a secure future; and, most poignantly, love from their parents, lovers, and children. To reclaim their lives, they take separate journeys - to a backwater hamlet in China, the wealthy environs of the Hudson River Valley, and, ultimately, the unknown areas of their hearts, where they discover what remains after their many failings to love and be loved. Spanning more than forty years and two continents, The Valley of Amazement transports listeners from the collapse of China's last imperial dynasty to the beginning of the Republic and recaptures the lost world of old Shanghai through the inner workings of courtesan houses and the lives of the foreigners living in the International Settlement, both erased by World War II. A deeply evocative narrative of the profound connections between mothers and daughters, imbued with Tan's characteristic insight and humor, The Valley of Amazement conjures a story of inherited trauma, desire and deception, and the power and obstinacy of love.

©2013 Amy Tan (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Once you start it, it is hard to stop.

Pulls you into a different experience of the world; yet tells a story that any son, daughter, mother, father will feel.

From the first word, you find yourself in the rich, exotic world of Chinese courtesan houses in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Shanghai. It follows the story of half-American, half-Chinese Violet Minturn from age seven into her forties as she lives and loves in Shanghai. It is a tremendous tale of three women; mother, daughter, and granddaughter; who live different lives but the bond between them is unbroken despite separations of distance and time. It taps  something I have come to realize the last few years, my mother lives in me.

For the writers, much craft can be gleaned from this book. Ask yourself why Amy Tan chose to tell Lucia’s story so late in the book? It is an inspired piece of storytelling from a master. A great example of how sex scenes should written and can be a pivotal part of a story and not set decoration.

The audio performances by Nancy Wu, Joyce Bean and Amy Tan bring the characters to life. However, this is not a good bedtime listen, it is too interesting and may keep you awake. Listen on the weekends. Once you start it, it is hard to stop.

I want my own Magic Gourd!

Loved this book!

What made the experience of listening to The Valley of Amazement the most enjoyable?

The story was wonderful. I was sucked into the storyline almost instantly. I love the relationships between the characters, they were so intricate and not connected in a typical way. I loved that I was on the edge of my seat and could really feel for the characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I don't have a particular favorite character, I loved them all. Although when the book switches to the different perspectives of the characters, it really gives you a better sense of how the character is feeling and why they are making certain decisions.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to all of the other available books by Amy Tan and I've liked them all, when she does the narrating herself, it does seem a little flat, but the story makes up for it. Plus, I like that I get to hear the author tell the story with her own voice in parts, knowing that she wrote the story.

Any additional comments?

This book has gotten some really unfair reviews, and I couldn't disagree more. This is my far my favorite Amy Tan book so far. I'm hoping that she does another book that is a sequel or something similar.

I love this book!

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down or stop the audio book.

An okay read

The section of Magic Gourd teaching Violet about the rules and customs of successful Shanghai courtesans was tedious and could have been cut down without taking away from the story. I do love how Loyalty’s character and flaws remained unchanged throughout the years of the story. The flow wasn’t great and the jump between Violet’s and Lulu’s stories was abrupt. Lulu’s story was rushed compared to Violet’s, creating an imbalance. In general this was an okay book, but not Tan’s best work.

Phenomenal!

I travel a lot so the length of this book is ideal! It does not drag on. It keeps you hooked from beginning to end. Masterfully written! Accurate historical references. Just the right amount of tragedy mixed with happy resolves. If I didn’t know this was fiction I’d think this story was true. It doesn’t have comfortable stories only. It has stories of real things that people endured during the time this book takes place in.
SUCH A GOOD BOOK! SUCH A WELL WRITTEN STORY. I am half Asian. It appeals to me and makes me reminisce of the behaviors or experiences from my Asian family. Traditions/behaviors/superstitions in Asian cultures still have not changed to this day. Every culture should read this book to shed light on historical times and cultural differences!