Tan, Amy The Valley of Amazement ISBN 13: 9780062223388

The Valley of Amazement - Softcover

9780062223388: The Valley of Amazement
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 

Amy Tan’s The Valley of Amazement is a sweeping, evocative epic of two women’s intertwined fates and their search for identity, that moves from the lavish parlors of Shanghai courtesans to the fog-shrouded mountains of a remote Chinese village.

Spanning more than forty years and two continents, The Valley of Amazement resurrects pivotal episodes in history: from the collapse of China’s last imperial dynasty, to the rise of the Republic, the explosive growth of lucrative foreign trade and anti-foreign sentiment, to the inner workings of courtesan houses and the lives of the foreign “Shanghailanders” living in the International Settlement, both erased by World War II.

A deeply evocative narrative about the profound connections between mothers and daughters, The Valley of Amazement returns readers to the compelling territory of Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. With her characteristic insight and humor, she conjures a story of inherited trauma, desire and deception, and the power and stubbornness of love.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:
An Amazon Best Book of the Month, November 2013: For a hefty half of her gorgeous new novel, The Valley of Amazement, Amy Tan instructs us in the finer points of life as a courtesan in early 20th century China: expect and revel in sensual descriptions of the clothes, the customs, even the not-so-niceties of catering to rich men in a very regimented society. Lulu Minturn is a white Californian who’d run away with a Chinese painter, established the best courtesan house in Shanghai and given birth to a beautiful “Eurasian” (in the parlance of the time) daughter, Violet. Soon, either because she was tricked or deceitful, Lulu abandons Violet and flees back to America; history soon is in danger of repeating itself when Violet gives birth to her own daughter. (Eventually, the scene shifts to California, where the family searches for redemption and reconciliation.) Nobody does mother-daughter angst and cross cultural conflict better than Tan, who has been literally writing the book(s) on these topics for years. What makes this novel special is its meticulous language--readers may be struck by the juxtaposition of poetry and Anglosaxon equivalents in descriptions of courtesans’ sex lives--and its elucidation of the cultural upheavals at the time. This is as much a historical novel as it is a family story, at once intimate and sweeping, personal and political. You’ll have learned something by the end--and you’ll probably also be weeping. --Sara Nelson
From the Back Cover:

Shanghai, 1912. Violet Minturn is the daughter of the American madam of the city's most exclusive courtesan house. When political upheaval separates Violet from her mother, she is forced to become a "virgin courtesan." Half-Chinese, half-American, Violet grapples with her place in the worlds of East and West—until she merges her two identities to become a shrewd courtesan, though privately she still struggles to understand who she is. San Francisco, 1897. Violet's mother chooses a disastrous course as a sixteen-year-old, following a Chinese painter to Shanghai, where she finds herself shocked by her lover's adherence to Chinese traditions.

Fueled by betrayals, both women refuse to submit to fate, persisting in their quests to recover what was taken from them: respect; a secure future; and love, from their parents, husbands, and children. An evocative narrative of the connections between mothers and daughters, imbued with Tan's characteristic insight and humor, The Valley of Amazement conjures a story of inherited trauma, desire and deception, and the power and obstinacy of love.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherHarper Large Print
  • Publication date2013
  • ISBN 10 0062223380
  • ISBN 13 9780062223388
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages928
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780062107312: The Valley of Amazement

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780062107312
Publisher: Ecco, 2013
Hardcover

9780062107329: The Valley of Amazement

Ecco, 2014
Softcover

9780007476480: Valley of Amazement

Harper..., 2014
Softcover

9780007456277: The Valley of Amazement

Ecco, 2013
Hardcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Seller Image

Tan, Amy
Published by HarperLuxe (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388
New Soft Cover Quantity: 10
Seller:
booksXpress
(Bayonne, NJ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780062223388

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 22.79
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Tan, Amy
Published by Harper Large Print (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0062223380

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 20.32
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Tan, Amy
Published by Harper Collins Publishers (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388
New Softcover Quantity: > 20
Seller:
INDOO
(Avenel, NJ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Brand New. Seller Inventory # 0062223380

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 21.07
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Seller Image

Amy Tan
ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Grand Eagle Retail
(Wilmington, DE, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Amy Tans The Valley of Amazement is a sweeping, evocative epic of two womens intertwined fates and their search for identity that moves from the lavish parlours of Shanghai courtesans to the fog-shrouded mountains of a remote Chinese village.Spanning more than forty years and two continents, The Valley of Amazement resurrects pivotal episodes in history: from the collapse of Chinas last imperial dynasty, to the rise of the Republic, the explosive growth of lucrative foreign trade and anti-foreign sentiment, to the inner workings of courtesan houses and the lives of the foreign Shanghailanders living in the International Settlement, both erased by World War II.A deeply evocative narrative about the profound connections between mothers and daughters, The Valley of Amazement returns readers to the compelling territory of Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club. With her characteristic insight and humour, she conjures a story of inherited trauma, desire and deception, and the power and stubbornness of love. Violet Minturn, a half-Chinese/half-American courtesan who deals in seduction and illusion in Shanghai, struggles to find her place in the world, while her mother, Lucia, tries to make sense of the choices she has made and the men who have shaped her. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780062223388

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 28.99
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Tan, Amy
Published by Harper Large Print (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Wizard Books
(Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0062223380

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 26.82
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.50
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Tan, Amy
Published by Harper Large Print (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldBooks
(Austin, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0062223380

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 28.39
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Tan, Amy
Published by HarperLuxe (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Front Cover Books
(Denver, CO, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0062223380

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 29.09
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.30
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Tan, Amy
Published by Harper Large Print (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Ebooksweb
(Bensalem, PA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. . Seller Inventory # 52GZZZ01YMJO_ns

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 33.65
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Tan, Amy
Published by Harper Large Print (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Books Unplugged
(Amherst, NY, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition. Seller Inventory # bk0062223380xvz189zvxnew

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 33.82
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Tan, Amy
Published by Harper Large Print (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062223380 ISBN 13: 9780062223388
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Book Deals
(Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-0062223380-new

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 33.82
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

There are more copies of this book

View all search results for this book