Bittersweet (P)

By Leslie Li

Book Overview

Bittersweet tells the life story of Li Xuewen, wife of the first democratically elected vice president of China, who began her life as the unwanted fourth daughter of a peasant farmer and rose in prestige and fortune to become the number one wife of a brilliant military hero. Her story reveals a scope of history and changes in Chinese culture that few Westerners have glimpsed. Inspired by the events of her grandmother's life, the author engages the reader in an engrossing novel about love and war, and the indomitable spirit of a woman determined to keep her family and self-respect intact.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804830363
• ISBN13: 9780804830362
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.7" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful story - should be better known

I picked up this book by chance in the library, and couldn't put it down till I'd read it to the last page. I'm really surprised it's not better known - it rates at least up there with The Joy Luck Club. This is the story of an incredible woman, living through incredible times. The early part of the book, in particular, where the author describes the life of a woman in early 20th century China, is moving and absorbing, but the author never preaches, never condemns, allows the reader to learn and draw her own conclusions. Bittersweet herself is drawn in an extraordinarily vivid way - this woman lives, she dominates the pages, and one's imagination long after the final page has turned. This is a book that ALL woman should read! It teaches us so much!

A book worth reading.

I enjoyed reading Bittersweet. The dynamics of the family taught me a lot about Chinease culture. The political stuff was a little too deep for me, but overall I felt as if I learned a lot by reading this book. I really had a hard time putting it down.

Beautifully written novel about a fascinating woman.

Although "Bittersweet" is about the life of a Chinese woman in the early part of this century, readers of all ethnic persuasions will identify with the title character, a woman who possesses emotional strength and a strong sense of self in the face of continual adversity. I was hooked from the first chapter and when I finished,I thought "What a remarkable woman!" The book dragged a little towards the end when it shifted to the Chinese political scene. Otherwise, I highly recommend this book