Rating: 
Summary: Truth
Review: The Bonesetters daughter is a wonderful story of Chinese women and their struggles. How a daughter finds out about her mother's true past is amazing. With a mother's journal, a young woman finds out how hard life was while her mother was young, especially for a woman. Romance and deception all put into one amazing story. Amy Tan is truly a wonderful unique writer, who is easy to follow. While I cannot say that very few books have captured my attention so completely, the book is truly an inspiration. Nothing should be in the way of freedom, not love, or blood. In addition, who could forget the wonderful bond between mother and daughter, as the daughter sees her true mother for the first time? With wonderfully developed characters and literary elements, the book must be read by all, even if they dislike reading.
Rating: 
Summary: My First Amy Tan Book
Review: I loved the book; in a way, it was as though I read two different books. The first part of the novel, with Ruth in present day San Francisco living with her "significant other" and being a pseudo-Stepmom to his two daughters, was frankly quite boring. Ruth was really getting on my nerves. I felt she let the girls treat her badly, and the way she seemed to need their love and approval was disgusting. Ruth was such a doormat. But then Ruth finds her mother's diary in which she has written down the things she does not want to forget. The story takes off for me then. The story Ruth's mother tells is a great historical fiction love story. I was fascinated by hearing details of China during World War II. The characters were well drawn and I cared deeply for them. I thought it was a wonderful story of mother-daughter relationships.
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Summary: An engaging, compelling read!
Review: Amy Tan gives us another glimpse into mother and daughter relationships in the Asian-American community in California. It would be nice to see this author venture into something new, but sticking with what she knows does not take away the enjoyment of Bonesetter's Daughter's tale of family struggles. Ruth is a modern woman who loves and, in no uncertain terms, loathes her mother. Her mother, too, has had problems with her own mother. The Bonesetter's Daughter focuses on these relationships and tells an interesting story -- one that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed reading this novel. It's a quick, engaging read -- especially when Ruth's mother tells her side of the story. Her narration was wonderful and compelling. Amy Tan isn't breaking new ground here, but this novel is a must-read nevertheless. Highly recommended...
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Read
Review: This is the first of Amy Tan's books that I have read, and I REALLY loved it. The book is a study of the relationships between a woman, her mother (a Chinese immigrant to America), and her grandmother. The Bonesetter's daughter is the Grandmother. The story is told from the Granddaughter's perspective, as she is dealing with her mother's impending Alzheimer's, and as she is going though some relationship problems with her long-term American partner. I really enjoyed the total immersion into Chinese culture that comes through the mother's and grandmother's stories. Amy Tan combines an intriguing story of Chinese and American-Chinese cultures with issues that many American women in their 30's and 40's are facing. An extraordinary book. I look forward to reading more of Amy Tan's books.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Having read Tan's other books, I was looking forward to reading this one. I was disappointed. The Bonesetter's Daughter is dull and not nearly as good as The Joy Luck Club or The Kitchen God's Wife. Read those instead.
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Summary: I truly enjoyed this book
Review: I truly enjoy Amy Tan's books because they let you go back in time and see the hardships in China and how they shaped Luling's life. Luling is the mother of Ruth, and is haunted by her mother's wronged soul, Precious Auntie. She feels much guilt because she is the one who caused Precious Auntie to kill herself. She has hidden painful secrets all her life from her ghostwriting daughter, Ruth. She has written two documents about her life, but they are written in Chinese, so Ruth must get a translator. Ruth is worried about her mother because she has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. She moves in with her mother and learns all of her secrets. A very moving book that makes you want to keep reading! If you enjoyed any of Amy Tan's other books, then you will definitely enjoy this one! Amy Tan uses the same theme of mother/daughter relationship in all of her books.
Rating:
Summary: Same basic storyline, but still interesting!
Review: I agree with the fact that the story is still about a mother and daughter relationship and it would be nice to see something a bit different from Tan. Another problem that I faced with the book was that I felt indifferent towards Ruth (One of the main characters) Usually, I tend to enjoy books more when the main character(s) invoke a strong feeling from me, for instance, I pity them, I like them, I really hate them etc.However, the saving element of this book for me was when it started to recap Luling's history. I found the characters far more intriguing and there was much more action. The first part of the book drags and is quite frankly boring at many points. So, my advice would be to kind of quickly read over the first 169 pages and get the general idea of the relationship between mother and daughter. Then, in part two, start reading a little more carefully.
Rating:
Summary: Same old same old
Review: Up to now all Amy Tan's novels have followed the same formula: (1) Mother fled to the US from China around 1949 when the communists took over.
(2) Daughter raised in America hates Chinese culture and mom's superstitions.
(3) Mother and daughter did not get along or understand one another.
(4) Mother reveals all secrets left behind in China when nearing the end of her life.
(5) Mother and daughter thus make up and daughter comes to appreciate her Chinese heritage. Reading one of those books is Okay, but two or more is just too much! Please! Show some fresh ideas here! Also for those of you who are fascinated but unfamiliar with China, do take it as a drama instead of could-be real life story. The book feels to me more like Chinese food in America - Americanized to be appealing to the general audience - If you want authentic taste, go read some original Chinese works and meet some real Chinese people!
Rating: 
Summary: A decent way to pass the time...
Review: I finished this book in two days. But mostly because I was bored at work and had nothing better to do. If more effort had been required for me to find the time to read this book, it would have taken much longer to finish it. Split into three parts, the second part (the recounting of Luling's story) is by far the most interesting. I would have enjoyed even more information about Luling and how she became the type of woman Ruth shows us in the first section of the book. The first and third sections of the book are about Ruth and her relationships with her live-in Art and her mother, mostly with her mother. Most of the conflict in the first and third sections are internal to Ruth... and since I did not find Ruth an interesting or sympathetic character, they were difficult to get through. But the second section was alive with color, description and activity. Something I felt was lacking once the section was over and I was again trapped in Ruth's brain. Overall, this is not a bad book. Perhaps those liking more internal conflict or those that do not have a good relationship to their mother will enjoy and relate to this book more. As for me, give me more of Luling and her family in China.
Rating:
Summary: Truly Wonderful Story!!
Review: Ancient Chinese Secrets from Chicago, IL. USA gives a wonderful review of the story. I simply want to tell everyone who has an aging parent to read this book. That should involve almost everyone. This is a remarkable story full of adventure into places I never expected. It was truly inspiring to me at the same age as Ruth the daughter of LuLing who is loosing her memory at the age of 77. I was blessed with so many eye openings through this book. Tan had me hook, line and sinker into LuLings background. I wanted to take a flashlight to bed and read until I was finished. Then I wanted to go back & re-read it for anything I may have missed experiencing. A must read for all. I will definitely read the rest of Tan's novels after enjoying this first experience for me and I'm sure I will read the Bonesetters Daughter once again for the pleasure.
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