The Piano Teacher

I'm sorry it's been such a long time!!  May completely flew by - Austin and I vacationed in Savannah for a week, and then it was back to work, trying to play catch-up.  While we were in Savannah, I finished The Piano Teacher, by Janice Lee.  The story is told from the perspective of a young English woman whose much older husband works in Hong Kong, and she moves there to be with him.  The time frame is after the second World War.  She becomes the piano teacher to a young Chinese girl, whose father (Mr. Chen) is very influential in politics and business.  Claire is fascinated by the culture, and also becomes fascinated by the Chen's chauffeur, Will.

The book also tells Will's story, before the war, and during the war, in Hong Kong.  He finds himself in the company of the mysterious Trudy Liang, who thinks she is invincible to the horrors the war will bring.  Ultimately, the book is a story of love, politics, and war, and lives that intertwine in incredible ways. 

I really enjoyed the book, but the whole plotline of the story is a little lost in the details in the book - details of life in Hong Kong, for the natives as well as the English transplants.  However, those are the parts that I really enjoyed - learning about that culture - it is not a time that is written about often.  Lee paints a very vivid picture of the markets, the tea parties held by the English ladies, the towns and people's habits.  I am crazy about this type of writing, especially when  it's done well, and transports you to another time and place.

Next up - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - and then The Litigators by John Grisham.  I'm actually on a reading roll - I guess because all of my shows are over for the season :(.   I'm also in the middle of Made to Crave, a book about desiring God instead of earthly things - namely food.  My sister-in-law Emily recommended it to me at Christmas, and it's been sitting on my shelf waiting for me to pick it up!! 

Happy Reading!
katie