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Summary: Silk Ties That Bind
Review: A sequel to WOMEN OF THE SILK, this novel follows one of the central characters, Pei, from her Chinese sisterhood of silk workers, forced to flee the impending Japanese invasion. In flight to Hong Kong, Pei must leave her dear friends from the silk factory, where she has worked since childhood, sent there by her impoverished family. Pei's beloved friend, Lin, is killed in a fire at the factory, so Pei takes on the responsibility of raising Ji Shen, orphaned since Nanking. A much different life awaits the travelers in Hong Kong, and Pei seeks employment in a private home while Ji Shen continues her education. Eventually, they are reunited when Pei is hired by an English widow, Mrs. Finch, who loves the girls as her own. When Hong Kong is overrun by Japanese troops, Mrs. Finch is sent to an interment camp to wait out the war; Pei and Ji Shen look for shelter in a boarding house where other "silk sisters" have sought refuge in common crisis. The young women live by their wits, bartering for necessities in the Black Market. Pei's life is littered with the loss of loved ones, including Ji Shen, who dies in childbirth. Weaving the threads of her life into a meaningful pattern, Pei finally comes full circle, reuniting with her birth sister, Li. This book isn't as well plotted as WOMEN OF THE SILK, nor do the characters have the same dimensions, although there is a vivid portrayal of the rampant confusion and fear during the Occupation, as well as life in the interment camps. Tsukiyama, pulls the story together for Pei, but she has lost many of her interesting personality traits in the process. It is a stretch to create whole cloth of this story from the threads that tie it to the author's previous novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than the first!
Review: Although "Women of the Silk" was one of the best books Gail Tsukiyama wrote, I would have to say that her sequel was more appealing than the first. Pei is once again on her own, having to leave the silk factory, and has an orphan named Ji Shen. Pei lost her best friend Jin, who left them a job in Hong Kong. Pei had many jobs while the Japanese stormed into China, destroying homes and villages. Pei managed to survive the bombings and having to lose so many friends, including the orphan Ji Shen. Pei's will to survive and living life to the fullest was what made this book so inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first!
Review: Although "Women of the Silk" was one of the best books Gail Tsukiyama wrote, I would have to say that her sequel was more appealing than the first. Pei is once again on her own, having to leave the silk factory, and has an orphan named Ji Shen. Pei lost her best friend Jin, who left them a job in Hong Kong. Pei had many jobs while the Japanese stormed into China, destroying homes and villages. Pei managed to survive the bombings and having to lose so many friends, including the orphan Ji Shen. Pei's will to survive and living life to the fullest was what made this book so inspiring.
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Summary: This sequel is an improvement!
Review: Firstly, a quick note to some other reviewers - if you are going to give away part of the plot in your review, warn the reader first - some of us look at the review *before* we read the book, and want to find out for ourselves what is going to happen, not have it told to us beforehand. Okay, rant over. The Language of Threads is the sequel to Tsukiyama's successful first novel 'Women of the Silk'. It tells the story of Pei, who travels with the orphan Ji Shen to Hong Kong. She has to start her life anew, whilst living through the Japanese occupation. This is a story set in a fascinating time and place, with some interesting characters. I think that this book is an improvement over its predecessor. The writing is much less laboured, and the dialogue flows a little better. The characters are fleshed out a little more, and we understand their motivations better. The book refers often to events and actions in the preceding book - I think you would really have to have read 'Women of the Silk' to know what is being talked about some of the time. This is not the best novel i have read set in this time or place, but stacked up against her previous effort, it looks okay. Tsukiyama is obviously finding herself as a writer the more she does it, and if i come across another of her novels in the future i will probably read it.
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Summary: Enjoyable historical fiction
Review: For the past two decades, Pei has worked in the Canton silk factories. However, when the Japanese invade her home in 1938, Pei flees for the relative safety of Hong Kong. She takes with her Ji Shen, whose parents died during the occupation of Nanking. Her connections with the silk industry land Pei a job in the home of a wealthy Chinese family. She loses her job as a domestic when she is accused of stealing pearls. Surprisingly, Pei obtains work as a companion to a white devil, Mrs. Finch. The British expatriate treats Pei and Ji as her children rather than her servants. Again, Pei's happy home is disrupted by the Japanese who take Mrs. Finch to a prison camp. Pei turns to sewing to scrape together a living even as Ji turns to the black market. With the help of the sisterhood, Pei and Ji continue to survive hardship after hardship. As a historical novel, THE LANGUAGE OF THE THREADS is an intriguing look at thirty-five years (1938-1973) of life in China and Hong Kong. However, the ordeals confronted by Pei never seem earth shattering as the stoic woman floats through whatever adversity life conjures up at her. This leaves readers fascinated by the heroine's philosophy yet never fully engaged. As with WOMEN OF THE SILK, Gail Tsukiyama shows her talent to make the mid-twentieth century Orient seem vividly alive as few tales have done. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: Great writer, disappointing book
Review: Gail Tsukiyama is an outstanding writer, and her first two novels (Women of the Silk and In the Samurai's Garden) are among two of my all-time favorites. I was extremely disappointed with her third effort, Night of Many Dreams---dull, predictable plot, almost amateurish writing, and lack of meaningful character development. When I heard that Tsukiyama had penned a sequel to Women of the Silk, I waited with baited breath and hoped it would be better then her third novel. Unfortunately, The Language of Threads is a flat, one-dimensional story. There are no surprises, no twists and turns to hook you. The book reads as if it were extremely rushed and written without inspiration. The main character, Pei who was so intriguing in Tsukiyama's first book, is not developed at all in this novel; you learn no more about her than you had when the novel started. The Language of Threads would have been better if it had been non-fiction because at least reading about someone's life in Hong Kong during WWII would have been interesting history. But from a plot standpoint, nothing much goes on in this book. Several pages at the start are wasted on Pei's first job in Hong Kong. That storyline eventually putters out, making you wonder why so many pages were wasted on it. The few plotlines that exist are contrived----most readers will figure out exactly what will happen beforehand. I once heard that a great writer should, "Show, not tell." Well, Tsukiyama does just the opposite. We learn that Pei and a later employer develop a great friendship but very few lines of dialog indicate why. The narration simply tells you how they feel, and this is pretty much how the entire book is written. You don't get emotionally involved with any of the characters. Having said all that, The Language of Threads does have its redeeming qualities. Any reader wanting to know what became of the characters in Women of the Silk will enjoy this sequel as it does provide closure. I kept on reading through the drab opening and middle, hoping it would get better-----and the final 50 pages or so are pretty good. The book begins to read more like a novel and less like an outline by the end, and you do get to find out what happens to Li, Chen Ling, Moi, and some of the other characters from Women of the Silk. If you want to read a lyrical, engrossing novel of China or Japan, then I recommend one of Tsukiyama's first two novels. The only reason to read The Language of Threads is to find out what becomes of Pei and the other characters from the first novel. Despite all this, I will still look forward to Tsukiyama's writing and hope she can re-capture the magic of her first two books.
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Summary: The Strength of Women
Review: Gail Tsykiyama twirled suspense, miracles, and human truths into her most recent book, The Language of Threads. Tsykiyama richly draws the life of a Chinese commoner, Pei, a young woman fleeing the invading Japanese army. The Language of Threads draws people in as a spider does with its prey with its pure simplicity of language. It's a superior book in its simplicity. One won't find the gaudy and unusual in this book as Tsykiyama stays with the average. However, what is thought of as average is put into another perspective so that the strength in the average is shown, giving us courage. The book is an easy read and as one passes through the book, one unconsciously remembers human truths that have been faded in reality. The Language of Threads is quite a touching book. When Pei finds work at the home a widowed British woman, Mrs. Finch, Mrs. Finch says that she is now family. Tsykiyama's remarkable ability to create characters is shown best in the Mrs. Finch. She is an obstinate woman who refuses to leave Hong Kong despite the impending danger of the Japanese. Like the strength of the women of our Civil War who held the home together while the men fought, Mrs. Finch's strength in this time of war and danger is to be respected and learned from. Although her mental and spiritual strengths do not fail her, in the end, he physical strength does. In a particularly touching moment happens when Pei's friend gives her a present and she blushes as had received so few gifts in her life that the gesture was embarrassing. This reminder of the rareness of gifts of that time and place shames us as we remember the abundance of gifts American enjoy showering on each other¡Xespecially during Christmas time. As the book begins to wind down, we expect family stability and a happily-after ending, but a twist of fate causes Pei to find her strength on her own. The Language of Threads leave readers with a warm, hopeful feeling about the future and an affirmation of the value of a woman's strength in times of war.
Rating: 
Summary: Well written story!
Review: I enjoyed this story and thought it was well written and interesting. It's the first time I've read one of her books. I have to say it was a bit slow, but enough to keep me interested. I wish I had read the others previously and will definitely read them now. If you enjoyed this book, you'd probably like "Memoirs of a Geisha" if you haven't read it already.
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Summary: A beautiful sequel to Women of the Silk
Review: I fell in love with Women of the Silk and couldn't wait to read this sequel. This continuation is excellent and I couldn't put it down. My heart cried with each new hardship put before Pei & her continued losses of those she loves. There is good conclusion to the stories begun in Women of the Silk and I love how the story ends. This is one of those stories you hate to finish. This is an excellent read!
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Summary: Tukiyama tells a story with grace and dignity
Review: I have read all Gail Tsukiyama's books and The Language of Threads is her best yet! She has a unique ability to tell a great story without the use of sensationalism. Tsukiyama weaves a tale that holds you close to the characters. The heart-break experienced in Pei's lifetime magnifies her inner courage and honor. These qualities carry her full circle. I would highly recommend all of Tsukiyama's books but be sure to read Women of the Silk before The Language of Threads. This is one of the best books I have ever read. I waited for her to release this book and now I can't wait for the next.
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