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Content snapshot
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Violence
Barely any
Historical violence from the Taiping Rebellion in past-life sequences; not graphically depicted
Language
Barely any
Mild language throughout
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild romantic content between adult characters
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
Moderate emotional depth: questions of faith, cultural identity, and the nature of love and loss create the novel's rich interior life
What this book is about
Olivia, a half-Chinese American woman, has always been embarrassed by her older half-sister Kwan — who insists she can see ghosts and speak to the dead. When Olivia and her estranged husband travel to China with Kwan, the older sister begins to tell the story of their past lives together in the 19th century. Amy Tan weaves modern San Francisco and the Taiping Rebellion into a warm, luminous novel about the bonds of love that persist across time and the mystery of what we owe to those who know us best.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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