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A Pair of Tickets
"A Pair of Tickets" was published in The Norton Introduction to Literature - 9th Edition and An Introduction to Fiction - 11th Edition.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
About the author
Amy Tan
103 books11.3k followersAmy Tan (Chinese: 譚恩美; pinyin: Tán Ēnměi; born February 19, 1952) is an American writer whose novels include The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, Saving Fish From Drowing, and The Valley of Amazement. She is the author of two memoirs, The Opposite of Fate and Where the Past Begins. Her two children’s books are The Chinese Siamese Cat and The Moon Lady. She is also the co-screenwriter of the film adaptation of The Joy Luck, the librettist of the opera The Bonesetter’s Daughter, and the creative consultant to the PBS animated series Sagwa the Chinese Chinese Cat.
Tan is an instructor with MasterClass on writing, memory and imagination. She is featured in the American Masters documentary Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters and recently received the National Humanities Medal. She serves on the board of American Bird Conservancy.
Her forthcoming book The Backyard Bird Chronicles began as a journal in 2016, when she turned to nature for calm. She also began taking drawing classes with John Muir Laws (The Laws Guide to Nature Journaling and Drawing, and The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds). During the pandemic shutdown, she drew birds only in her backyard, documenting behaviors she found puzzling. Over time she identified 64 species of birds that have visited her backyard in Marin County. By 2022, she had more than nine journals of sketches and notes, which her editor at Knopf suggested she publish. The book, which will be released in April 2024, has already received high praise:
“Much of great writing comes from great interest, and in The Backyard Bird Chronicles, Amy Tan shows us how the world fascinates her, especially the birds. The result is both unexpected and spectacular.”
—Ann Patchett, author of These Precious Days
“What an enchanting and illuminating book! How lucky for us that Amy Tan has turned her genius, her deep empathy and insight, her keen eye for what is telling, to birds. Every page of these chronicles radiates warm curiosity, wonder, and delight.”
—Jennifer Ackerman, The Genius of Birds
“This is one of the most infectious and convincing books about nature I’ve read. For the bird-watcher, the would-be bird-watcher, or for the bird-watching skeptic, this offers great delight and unexpected intrigue. Through Tan’s ecstatic eyes, what could be a dry treatise on ornithological happenings becomes something far more fun and much more profound. It’s really a book about seeing.”
—Dave Eggers, author of Ungrateful Mammals
“Anybody even mildly interested in birds, or thinking about getting interested in birds (which are, after all, the indicator genus for the health of the planet), will want this book perched on their shelf, if only for the gift of Amy Tan’s eye and the example she gives us of how to pay attention. What a treasure.”
—Robert Hass, Pulitzer Prize-Winning author of Summer Snow: New Poems
“Backyard Bird Chronicles is fun reading. It shows how we can become engaged emotionally, literally and artistically with the natural world—to joyfully learn about the most accessible and yet wild animals, the often rare and beautiful birds that choose to come and live near and sometimes with us.”
—Bernd Heinrich, author of Mind of the Raven
“With this book as your guide, embark into the bird world Amy Tan. This is an intimate view, a sort-of love affair with the birds and their behavior, that Amy has come to know over several years. Within the leafy universe of her own backyard, she has quietly beheld, patiently observed, and taken in-depth notations of an extensive array of bird species. In colorful detail, she describes various bird’s behavior, while capturing their beauty in exquisitely rendered illustrations. Species include fearsome predators and watchful prey, long distance migrants and hometown residents. Through her unique insight and gift as an author and
Tan is an instructor with MasterClass on writing, memory and imagination. She is featured in the American Masters documentary Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters and recently received the National Humanities Medal. She serves on the board of American Bird Conservancy.
Her forthcoming book The Backyard Bird Chronicles began as a journal in 2016, when she turned to nature for calm. She also began taking drawing classes with John Muir Laws (The Laws Guide to Nature Journaling and Drawing, and The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds). During the pandemic shutdown, she drew birds only in her backyard, documenting behaviors she found puzzling. Over time she identified 64 species of birds that have visited her backyard in Marin County. By 2022, she had more than nine journals of sketches and notes, which her editor at Knopf suggested she publish. The book, which will be released in April 2024, has already received high praise:
“Much of great writing comes from great interest, and in The Backyard Bird Chronicles, Amy Tan shows us how the world fascinates her, especially the birds. The result is both unexpected and spectacular.”
—Ann Patchett, author of These Precious Days
“What an enchanting and illuminating book! How lucky for us that Amy Tan has turned her genius, her deep empathy and insight, her keen eye for what is telling, to birds. Every page of these chronicles radiates warm curiosity, wonder, and delight.”
—Jennifer Ackerman, The Genius of Birds
“This is one of the most infectious and convincing books about nature I’ve read. For the bird-watcher, the would-be bird-watcher, or for the bird-watching skeptic, this offers great delight and unexpected intrigue. Through Tan’s ecstatic eyes, what could be a dry treatise on ornithological happenings becomes something far more fun and much more profound. It’s really a book about seeing.”
—Dave Eggers, author of Ungrateful Mammals
“Anybody even mildly interested in birds, or thinking about getting interested in birds (which are, after all, the indicator genus for the health of the planet), will want this book perched on their shelf, if only for the gift of Amy Tan’s eye and the example she gives us of how to pay attention. What a treasure.”
—Robert Hass, Pulitzer Prize-Winning author of Summer Snow: New Poems
“Backyard Bird Chronicles is fun reading. It shows how we can become engaged emotionally, literally and artistically with the natural world—to joyfully learn about the most accessible and yet wild animals, the often rare and beautiful birds that choose to come and live near and sometimes with us.”
—Bernd Heinrich, author of Mind of the Raven
“With this book as your guide, embark into the bird world Amy Tan. This is an intimate view, a sort-of love affair with the birds and their behavior, that Amy has come to know over several years. Within the leafy universe of her own backyard, she has quietly beheld, patiently observed, and taken in-depth notations of an extensive array of bird species. In colorful detail, she describes various bird’s behavior, while capturing their beauty in exquisitely rendered illustrations. Species include fearsome predators and watchful prey, long distance migrants and hometown residents. Through her unique insight and gift as an author and
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 2, 2014
This story (that seems such a small word for this wonderful work) is extremely touching.
March 22, 2018
I read this story for my AP English class, and I enjoyed it a lot. It's a nice little story about self-discovery and the true meaning of "being Chinese."
Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars
Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars
December 15, 2023
This was arguably one of top best stories I read in the class, as it brings upon the happenings of identity, disscounnection, and heritage within the story. Written by an author who has experienced the struggles by named of Amy Tan. I want to introduce the A pair of tickets.
Before reading the story, I thought the book title was probably about the life of being with a partner or the experience of dating that went bad at a carnival, but what surprised me was it took a big turnaround on the story.
What also may be interesting is that there have been many people who have shown interest in wondering who they are in their lives. Whether the fact about their culture, their identity, and their family heritage. Without knowing about yourself people you then start to disconnect from your history and never get to really know yourself and then feel like a different person towards your culture such as being in a different area or a new country, you have been there for years and start to feel the difference in the new culture but drifting away from who you are.
I very much recommend this story to anybody who understands the case of understatement of identity such as people from a young age who never understand their lives and ask themselves in the mirror who are. But also knowing that people can have a problem, especially family problems in the mix of their lives as some people question how they are around them.
To the assumption, make it short for anybody interested in reading the story, the story takes place in China where we are with a young woman named Jing-mei who is with her father Canning Woo heading up to the country to meet her half-sisters from her mother's side, but not only is she meeting her family but as well to understand her self as a Chinese after from living in the U.S. for far so long.
Within the story, the character gives in a brief context of being relatable in the world as she travels to the country where her parents came from. But in the story, she fears that she is an outsider to her own culture, and asking herself she even questions herself being far from her cultural interests.
Next, It has an interesting plot to it, as it gives a chilly part about how the mother had to do especially what effect her children had.
Finally, the peak at the ending was amazing, as it made happy but not only the main character but also with side characters even with the problems go beyond the family as soon as Jing-Mei is gonna she gets embraced by part of is that them all
The message of the story is shown within what it is all about as you can read there were many parts in the story where you can feel the oppose of fear of being a social outcast and it leans toward Jing-Mei and her culture for a bit but then you see it trying to understand more into the story and not even about disconnection but as well into the talking family as you can upon remembrance toward the past. But it also brings about the relationship into the making as well as throughout it start in a relationship between others characters.
The only problem within the story is that you don’t see much from the difference where the main character about her life in America but we are review upon on how she was in China because within anything of likes, people always describe their lives on how it is different from going to different country than especially those who are visiting and want experiences.
To this, you don’t see a reaction from the character upon how they act differently in the making whether they have a good or bad experiences or what they encounter whether or not the characters have the same or different experiences such as trying to understand who they are within. But to understand the character with a troubling time of understanding, you have to bring upon what it likes.
Before reading the story, I thought the book title was probably about the life of being with a partner or the experience of dating that went bad at a carnival, but what surprised me was it took a big turnaround on the story.
What also may be interesting is that there have been many people who have shown interest in wondering who they are in their lives. Whether the fact about their culture, their identity, and their family heritage. Without knowing about yourself people you then start to disconnect from your history and never get to really know yourself and then feel like a different person towards your culture such as being in a different area or a new country, you have been there for years and start to feel the difference in the new culture but drifting away from who you are.
I very much recommend this story to anybody who understands the case of understatement of identity such as people from a young age who never understand their lives and ask themselves in the mirror who are. But also knowing that people can have a problem, especially family problems in the mix of their lives as some people question how they are around them.
To the assumption, make it short for anybody interested in reading the story, the story takes place in China where we are with a young woman named Jing-mei who is with her father Canning Woo heading up to the country to meet her half-sisters from her mother's side, but not only is she meeting her family but as well to understand her self as a Chinese after from living in the U.S. for far so long.
Within the story, the character gives in a brief context of being relatable in the world as she travels to the country where her parents came from. But in the story, she fears that she is an outsider to her own culture, and asking herself she even questions herself being far from her cultural interests.
Next, It has an interesting plot to it, as it gives a chilly part about how the mother had to do especially what effect her children had.
Finally, the peak at the ending was amazing, as it made happy but not only the main character but also with side characters even with the problems go beyond the family as soon as Jing-Mei is gonna she gets embraced by part of is that them all
The message of the story is shown within what it is all about as you can read there were many parts in the story where you can feel the oppose of fear of being a social outcast and it leans toward Jing-Mei and her culture for a bit but then you see it trying to understand more into the story and not even about disconnection but as well into the talking family as you can upon remembrance toward the past. But it also brings about the relationship into the making as well as throughout it start in a relationship between others characters.
The only problem within the story is that you don’t see much from the difference where the main character about her life in America but we are review upon on how she was in China because within anything of likes, people always describe their lives on how it is different from going to different country than especially those who are visiting and want experiences.
To this, you don’t see a reaction from the character upon how they act differently in the making whether they have a good or bad experiences or what they encounter whether or not the characters have the same or different experiences such as trying to understand who they are within. But to understand the character with a troubling time of understanding, you have to bring upon what it likes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2024
In this story, we follow Jing Mei and her journey on meeting her long lost twin step sisters. As she goes through this journey of meeting her sisters, she is also going on a journey for herself. Little by little she is finding her true self and everything her mother has said is suddenly coming together and making sense. We follow Jing Mei on her first visit to the motherland of China. Jing Mei is very nervous when it comes to meeting her sisters for the first time; she doesn’t know how to face them by herself. She tends to go back and forth with all her “what if” thoughts, because she just really is lost on how to go about things when it comes to her sisters. The main person who should be there with her cannot be with her to guide and lead when it comes to new territory. Even though she doesn’t have the guidance and support she wants, she still has people that are willing to be there to try and fill the empty space she has.
I recommend people to take the time and read this short story because it is relatable, has a deep message, and it is not too long nor is it too short. A Pair of Tickets is a relatable story because it speaks in the point of view of a child with immigrant parents trying to find her way back to her roots. There are a lot of people born in a different country trying to find who they really are. This story is a perfect piece for someone to see just a little insight on what we feel and think. As an immigrant myself who came here when I was really young, I also have moments where I feel like I'm somewhat disconnected from my roots. This story somewhat gave me comfort because it made me realize that some people feel the same way. Another reason as to why people should read this story is that the meaning behind it is special. In my point of view the meaning behind A Pair of Tickets is that it is never too late to go back to where you started, and there will always be a place that will always feel like home to you. It is a light hearted story and it leaves people with a nice and easy feeling at the end. Another reason as to why this story is a good read is because it is just the right length. It’s not too long or short, it is just right and it is enough to get the message across. This story does not go on forever and it is also an easy read, that a lot of people will have the time to enjoy in one sitting. In my opinion, short stories are really only good if they are actually short but get their message through.
A small spoiler for this story is coming up; one critique I have for this story is that the second letter was not shown to the audience like the first letter was. I think the audience should’ve known what was part of the letter so we knew what the sisters received. I would say this is a critique of mine because we were on the same boat as to what Jing Mei was feeling. I personally didn’t like feeling anxious while reading, so knowing what the letter said and what the sisters thought of it would’ve helped ease the little nerves that were built up. That is the only critique I have for the story, everything else was good to me.
A Pair of Tickets by Amy Tan is a good short story to read that would be given a 5 star rating. Even though I said there was something that could be fixed, I believe the problem isn’t as big to the point that it would get stars deducted. Overall, the story shined the light on how children of immigrants feel and think throughout their life. It showed a good portion of being able to fight through the nerves and thoughts that hinder us from going back to the motherland. This short story showed an abundance of strength, acceptance, and finding their true selves despite the loss and anxiety that was experienced.
I recommend people to take the time and read this short story because it is relatable, has a deep message, and it is not too long nor is it too short. A Pair of Tickets is a relatable story because it speaks in the point of view of a child with immigrant parents trying to find her way back to her roots. There are a lot of people born in a different country trying to find who they really are. This story is a perfect piece for someone to see just a little insight on what we feel and think. As an immigrant myself who came here when I was really young, I also have moments where I feel like I'm somewhat disconnected from my roots. This story somewhat gave me comfort because it made me realize that some people feel the same way. Another reason as to why people should read this story is that the meaning behind it is special. In my point of view the meaning behind A Pair of Tickets is that it is never too late to go back to where you started, and there will always be a place that will always feel like home to you. It is a light hearted story and it leaves people with a nice and easy feeling at the end. Another reason as to why this story is a good read is because it is just the right length. It’s not too long or short, it is just right and it is enough to get the message across. This story does not go on forever and it is also an easy read, that a lot of people will have the time to enjoy in one sitting. In my opinion, short stories are really only good if they are actually short but get their message through.
A small spoiler for this story is coming up; one critique I have for this story is that the second letter was not shown to the audience like the first letter was. I think the audience should’ve known what was part of the letter so we knew what the sisters received. I would say this is a critique of mine because we were on the same boat as to what Jing Mei was feeling. I personally didn’t like feeling anxious while reading, so knowing what the letter said and what the sisters thought of it would’ve helped ease the little nerves that were built up. That is the only critique I have for the story, everything else was good to me.
A Pair of Tickets by Amy Tan is a good short story to read that would be given a 5 star rating. Even though I said there was something that could be fixed, I believe the problem isn’t as big to the point that it would get stars deducted. Overall, the story shined the light on how children of immigrants feel and think throughout their life. It showed a good portion of being able to fight through the nerves and thoughts that hinder us from going back to the motherland. This short story showed an abundance of strength, acceptance, and finding their true selves despite the loss and anxiety that was experienced.
December 3, 2024
Before reading “A Pair of Tickets” By Amy Tan I didn’t expect anything spectacular and assumed it would just be another class reading assignment. I honestly was extremely surprised by how much I related to the story. The story was super intriguing and also relatable for someone like me even though me and Amy Tan are two very different people. I think this story is something you should read if you’ve ever questioned your identity, your cultural belonging, or dealt with difficult familial ties. Amy Tan does an amazing job of tying these extremely relatable and heavy themes together.
The story is told from the main character, Jing-Mei Woo, point of view as she looks back on memories she had with her mother before she died. With those memories she begins to question her cultural identity after feeling like she lost a key part of her culture, being her mom. She travels to China with her dad to grant her mom's last wish to connect with her twin daughters she had from a previous marriage. This journey highlights the main themes of family bonds and understanding one’s self. The protagonist, Jing-Mei Woo, is a Chinese American woman who is trying to take in and understand her mother's past life and also understand her own cultural identity. The story was mostly written to be set in China both modern and older China from when her mom lived there. The main conflict for Jing-Mei was self. She struggled to combine both her American self and her Chinese traditions. Because of this internal struggle, it makes it mentally harder for her to connect with her sisters.
I find that I would recommend this story the most because of how well it articulates how it feels to struggle with your cultural belonging and how one may question their identity later in life rather than just as a teenager. I feel most books harp on self-identity for tweens and teens learning to operate in high school but not as young adults or adults in general. Because of how well Amy wrote not only Jing-Mei's story but her mother's too, I'd also recommend the story because of her skilled writing. She also was extremely descriptive which added to her writing giving the story more life and connecting the reader. In the end, I found the ending of the story to be extremely impactful. She couldn't identify with being Chinese, and once her mom had died, she felt like she had missed her chance. But by meeting her sisters, she was able to realize her heritage and also feel the connection she thought she’d missed with her mom through her sister. Familial ties were the thing that helped everything together and I think that spoke volumes.
The only issue I found with this story was how underdeveloped the other characters were when there was so much potential for more with them. The story deeply focuses on Jing-Mei and her journey through culture and self-identity but lacks any development for characters like her father or twin sisters. We, as the reader, missed the journey the twin sisters may have gone through, only seeing what the mother and Jing-mei knew. The father was also another character we missed out on seeing develop.
After reading A Pair of Tickets, I would rate the story 4.6 out of 5 stars. I believe the story was an extremely relatable one and well-written for anyone to understand the deeper meaning. The story bridges someone's culture to a universal theme most people may go through. Amy Tan is a talented storyteller, and this story is something I would heavily recommend reading.
The story is told from the main character, Jing-Mei Woo, point of view as she looks back on memories she had with her mother before she died. With those memories she begins to question her cultural identity after feeling like she lost a key part of her culture, being her mom. She travels to China with her dad to grant her mom's last wish to connect with her twin daughters she had from a previous marriage. This journey highlights the main themes of family bonds and understanding one’s self. The protagonist, Jing-Mei Woo, is a Chinese American woman who is trying to take in and understand her mother's past life and also understand her own cultural identity. The story was mostly written to be set in China both modern and older China from when her mom lived there. The main conflict for Jing-Mei was self. She struggled to combine both her American self and her Chinese traditions. Because of this internal struggle, it makes it mentally harder for her to connect with her sisters.
I find that I would recommend this story the most because of how well it articulates how it feels to struggle with your cultural belonging and how one may question their identity later in life rather than just as a teenager. I feel most books harp on self-identity for tweens and teens learning to operate in high school but not as young adults or adults in general. Because of how well Amy wrote not only Jing-Mei's story but her mother's too, I'd also recommend the story because of her skilled writing. She also was extremely descriptive which added to her writing giving the story more life and connecting the reader. In the end, I found the ending of the story to be extremely impactful. She couldn't identify with being Chinese, and once her mom had died, she felt like she had missed her chance. But by meeting her sisters, she was able to realize her heritage and also feel the connection she thought she’d missed with her mom through her sister. Familial ties were the thing that helped everything together and I think that spoke volumes.
The only issue I found with this story was how underdeveloped the other characters were when there was so much potential for more with them. The story deeply focuses on Jing-Mei and her journey through culture and self-identity but lacks any development for characters like her father or twin sisters. We, as the reader, missed the journey the twin sisters may have gone through, only seeing what the mother and Jing-mei knew. The father was also another character we missed out on seeing develop.
After reading A Pair of Tickets, I would rate the story 4.6 out of 5 stars. I believe the story was an extremely relatable one and well-written for anyone to understand the deeper meaning. The story bridges someone's culture to a universal theme most people may go through. Amy Tan is a talented storyteller, and this story is something I would heavily recommend reading.
April 22, 2024
Amy Tan is a Chinese American who is trying to understand her culture and tries to see where she comes from. As she tries to take the readers through a journey of self discovery through her eyes as the protagonist Jing-mei. Amy Tan is passionate and thought-provoking short stories that explore themes of identity, family, and cultural heritage. A journey to China, the story follows Jing-mei, as she has a mission to connect her roots and tries to discover herself. From the beginning, Amy Tan gets the readers with her descriptions and imagery, transporting them to the streets of China and relying on immersing themselves in the sounds, smells, and sights of the country. Though in Jing-mei's eyes we the readers experience a sense of sadness as we discover the long lost homeland, as well the complex of trying to navigate the culture. One of the most compelling works of “A Pair of Tickets” is the exploration of Jing-mei identity and her struggling trying to find herself in her journey through her family history. She starts to learn more about her mother’s past, and discovers that she had long lost twin siblings. This makes her confront her mothers unresolved feelings of grief and loss.
One of the reasons why you should give the story a shot is the cultural exploration you get from it. The capture of Chinese culture and tradition. As you read the story you get a sight on how Jing-mei’s homeland was. You get a small history piece about China too when you start to hear about Jing-mei’s mother's story and how she got to america.
Another reason why you should give this story a look is Insightful reflection that jing-mei had on herself as she was trying to discover about herself and question her identity. As jing-mei discovers more about her cultural heritage and her family Amy Tan tries to encourage the readers to examine their own culture and perspectives.
One issue that “A Pair of Tickets” had as a short story was, it offers the reader the complex life that jing-mei lives but may leave its development to the end of the story. The story theme such as identity, family, and cultural heritage, but it is limited and it can prevent exploration from these topics. I believe some readers may find themselves probably wishing for more narrative.
To summarize everything up, “A Pair of Tickets” highlights the cultural exploration and the insightful reflection. I can definitely say I appreciate the captivity of Chinese culture, the journey that jing-mei had from self-reflection by the narrator. However, you have to acknowledge the limitations of the short stories which may leave some readers wanting more in-depth development of the story. Giving this story a 4 stars out 5 stars.
One of the reasons why you should give the story a shot is the cultural exploration you get from it. The capture of Chinese culture and tradition. As you read the story you get a sight on how Jing-mei’s homeland was. You get a small history piece about China too when you start to hear about Jing-mei’s mother's story and how she got to america.
Another reason why you should give this story a look is Insightful reflection that jing-mei had on herself as she was trying to discover about herself and question her identity. As jing-mei discovers more about her cultural heritage and her family Amy Tan tries to encourage the readers to examine their own culture and perspectives.
One issue that “A Pair of Tickets” had as a short story was, it offers the reader the complex life that jing-mei lives but may leave its development to the end of the story. The story theme such as identity, family, and cultural heritage, but it is limited and it can prevent exploration from these topics. I believe some readers may find themselves probably wishing for more narrative.
To summarize everything up, “A Pair of Tickets” highlights the cultural exploration and the insightful reflection. I can definitely say I appreciate the captivity of Chinese culture, the journey that jing-mei had from self-reflection by the narrator. However, you have to acknowledge the limitations of the short stories which may leave some readers wanting more in-depth development of the story. Giving this story a 4 stars out 5 stars.
May 14, 2017
Trying to be sentimental and melodramatic, but the emotions do not feel real. The protagonist's exploration of her so called "Chinese identity" and the epiphany at the end of the story is superficial. The ending also feels rushed. And the writing--"We are going to Guangzhou, my seventy-two-year-old father, Canning Woo, and I, where we will visit his aunt, whom he has not seen since he was ten years old." It's just not for me. The whole thing is just not convincing. I have got "Joy Luck Club" from the library, if it is something similar I don't want to read it.
August 30, 2019
I have just finished reading this for my college Intro to Literature class and I am blown away. I was sucked in and felt that I was every bit a part of the story as the narrator herself. Something about family and this women finding herself in her midlife had me so emotionally vulnerable and I felt every bit of this story with my being. I highly recommend
November 30, 2022
“And now at the airport, after shaking hands with everybody, waving good-bye, I think about all the different ways we leave people in this world. Cheerily waving good-bye to some at airports, knowing we’ll never see each other again. Leaving others on the side of the road, hoping that we will. Finding my mother in my father’s story and saying good-bye before I have a chance to know her better.”
June 22, 2023
It was definitely touching but it didn't blow my mind. Not that it was supposed to. It was an easy piece of reading for a B2+ / C1 level reader. I liked how she harmonized the younger generation with that of the older generation within the context of war. Additionally, the conclusion she reached was well done.
March 19, 2024
This story though short has so much meaning packed in to every single word, scentece, paragraph and page. Showing how the narrator feels towards her history and truly accepts herself as who she and her family is.
February 2, 2020
read for class.
May 29, 2022
this was an academic reading but still so so beautiful and emotional. i loved it so much
Read
September 9, 2022uni read
Read
February 7, 2023Read for Introduction to Literature class.
March 6, 2023
I am currently in the first year of my English degree and was assigned this reading by my Eng200 professor. I must say, this short story is an emotional, heart-touching and bittersweet work of art.
December 12, 2023
made me cry. so so so good
February 2, 2024
Such a beautiful, teary eyed story of love, loss and the journey of life all in one beautifully tragic experience.
September 10, 2024
This was so touching
March 2, 2025
a very heartbreaking story
January 23, 2026
beautiful. well-written, fluid, and portrays such a hard situation in an understandable, emotional way. reminds me of Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Family Supper” and Phil Kaye’s “Teeth”.
April 11, 2026
I remember welling up on the last page. Enough said.
January 24, 2025
This is a beautiful story of perseverance and personal cultural acceptance. Highly recommend giving this a read!
November 13, 2021
I'm tearing up. I am so sensitive about babies...
March 20, 2015
كانت أمها تقول لها انها صينية ... ما كانت تعلم بأنتسابها لأمريكا .. و عدم رؤيتها للصين إلا عندما ناهزت 36 عاماً أن تغلل الأنتماء الصيني في داخلها كان هو عائلتها أي أنصاف التؤام أخواتها .
و قد كانت أمها قد تخلت عن شئ ثمين في الشارع او حتى أثمن من تلك المجوهرات التي وضعتها بجانب هذا الشئ ..
لانها قد تركت أبنتيها التؤام ...
و قد كانت أمها قد تخلت عن شئ ثمين في الشارع او حتى أثمن من تلك المجوهرات التي وضعتها بجانب هذا الشئ ..
لانها قد تركت أبنتيها التؤام ...
April 5, 2016
Jeez, this made me teary. The atmosphere and the themes it touched on hit close to home.
January 30, 2017
Read this for my English 1C introduction to literature
And did not like it.
And did not like it.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews