Empress Orchid by Anchee Min

The prequel to The Last Empress by the same author, the novel begins from the humble life of the famous Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi, aka Orchid and how she entered the palace to her historical fame in China's monarchy.

I have definitely sung praises for The Last Empress, which ironically was the book I read before this prequel and I have to say, Anchee Min did not disappoint in this book either.
It was amazing the imagination of the author as she saw the world of palace life through the young eyes of an ordinary girl like you and me.

Despite the general perception of how manipulative or conniving the empress was in her early days to gain power and the favor of the emperor in the kingdom, in this book, the empress was portrayed as a young girl who yearned to be loved and to learn about love and survival in a world filled with deception and secrets.

When Orchid first entered the palace, she never imagined that she would have to resort to tactics to ensure her survival in the palace. Being the naive girl she was, she thought that her entry into palace as one of the consort contestants would save her family from the poverty state they are in but she ended up yearning to gain attention from the most desirable man in the palace; the Emperor himself.

It was not her intention to gain power and status when she first entered, but succumbing to a daily boring routine of a life made her changed her mind and she soon wondered about being loved by a man; and none other but the ruler of the country himself.
Feeling the misery of loneliness, Orchid soon realized that she had to resort to ways others had been practising before her to gain entry to the Emperor's chamber before his heart.

It was an interesting journey as Anchee Min dived into the deepest desires and fears of a young girl of 17 based on the basic instincts of a human being.
When Orchid found her way to the chamber of the Emperor, she found that the Emperor too, had paved his presence in her heart. Her efforts had not been wasted; as she gained the love of the Emperor who started to spend time with her alone as she was not only there to satisfy his manly desires but also one whom he could confide in.

Orchid slowly started to secretly help the Emperor in his government of the country, paving her path as one of the most historical women in one of the strongest Chinese dynasties.

I have always felt that Anchee Min 'breathed' life into the famous Empress; bringing her from her high rank above down to our level, that the Empress herself was once a young girl from a simple background and that she had thoughts just like any curious young girl would have had.
It is amazing and I must say that the story had a 'soul', as Empress Orchid is portrayed as truly, an ordinary woman and not all the scheming or evil person that most fiction/history books portrayed her to be and that she too, had her own reasons in everything that she did.

It is a tale of reality, and not just about history and I highly recommend this for a read. It may be a historical fiction, but who knows? Empress Orchid was indeed someone like us before she ascended to power; only that she had to find a way to survive amidst the dark settings in the palace where everyone is fighting for survival.

The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan

“LuLing Young is getting old and – while she still can – she begins to write down her memories of life as a girl in 1930s China.
One day, while tending to her ailing mother, LuLing’s daughter Ruth uncovers this extraordinary memoir of a childhood spent in the remote mountain village known as Immortal Heart. In this ancient world, steeped in magic and superstition, lie the deep secrets of LuLing’s heart and the tragic events that changed the path of her life. As Ruth’s understanding grows, mother and daughter discover together that what they share in their bones through history and heredity is priceless beyond measure”

I do not have to start with those commentaries by the big names from the press or the journalism world on Amy Tan as a wonderful writer.
This story again, touches on a poignant tale between an Asian mother and daughter who obviously didn’t see eye to eye with each other.
Ruth was an Asian American who is co-habituating with a divorced American man with two daughters from his previous marriage. Her relationship with the man in her life was in chaos and at the same time, she had to deal with her mother’s constant intervention in her life. She never did get along with the mother she saw as ‘know-it-all’ and constantly at her neck. When her mother was diagnosed with dementia, she starts to spend time with her mother and see the happenings through her mother’s eyes. She read LuLing’s diary, and all of a sudden, things start to fall into place as she sees the real reason behind her mother’s puzzling behavior all the years and how she never really knew her mother.
A touching and emotional journey through her own roots in her family history; tracing back to her mother’s childhood and the grandmother she always thought was someone else. She starts to see her mother in a different light; and joins the mother-daughter relationship bonded through their blood connection.
As mother starts to fail in her memory due to the age and health, she starts to realize her true role of being a daughter and granddaughter and at the same time, explore her own relationship with her own family.

It is a wonderful read; one of the best piece by Amy so far which was deviated from the usual mother-daughter relationship stories. She explored deeper into the history of the family and traced her character to their roots; which touched the hearts of her readers as we start to follow in the emotional path of the characters.
I enjoyed every page of this book; and couldn’t stop putting it down when it came to the diary part.
I would put it on the shelf to re-read and read again and again; it made me feel so warm and lovely and how lucky I am to have a loving mother and to love my own mother. I feel thankful that I’ve always taken an interest in my mother’s life story and it made me more keen to know even more, to make sure I don’t miss a single moment in my mummy’s life.

An insight to the true meaning of family relationship and appreciating your bloodline.
I would highly recommend to all mother and daughters; whether you think your relationship is already great or you felt like you never did understand each other.