Summary:
In Chinese folklore the kitchen god’s wife was only a woman. She was a very good woman. She cared for her husband even when he was not nice to her. She cared for him and took care of the home even when he despised her and thought naught of her. He even brought other women into the home to flaunt in her face. The wife was prosperous and created a wonderful home for the man. One day the man ran his wife off in order to spend time with the other woman. They spent time undoing all the work the good wife had done. Because this man had undid everything his good wife had done he eventually ended up homeless and poor. A good woman helped him out in a time of need. When he realized this woman was his former wife he leapt into the fire because of the shame he felt. She had been so good to him, but he had been terrible to her. Because the man realized what had went wrong in his life he was named the kitchen god.
The whole story starts when Pearl learns first that a cousin is getting married for the third or fourth time and second that he great-aunt Du has died. Pearl thought her aunt had died long before, but she lived to a very lengthy age. One of the last things aunt Du left for Pearl was a home altar with a picture of the kitchen god inside. Pearl doesn’t want the kitchen god but takes the altar anyways.
Pearl has MS. She was diagnosed several years before. For all the time she has suffered with the disease she has never told her mother. A brain cancer scare of aunt Helen forces Pearl’s mother Winnie to tell Pearl her story.
Winnie was the daughter of a replacement second wife of a wealthy man in China. One day Winnie’s mother left. Winnie was soon sent to live with her uncle and his two wives. There Winnie became friends with her cousin Peanut. Winnie was married off first to a man named Wen Fu. Soon after trouble started in China. It wasn’t until some time later that Winnie learned that her husband was a very bad man.
Winnie became bitter because her family had known Wen Fu was a bad man, but they gave her to him anyways. Soon after her marriage she finds herself pregnant. This only ends in disappointment. Winnie and her husband are forced to leave the capital city for fear of Japanese invasion. They live a long time in an inland Chinese town. Over the years Winnie has more children and more disappointment in her husband Wen Fu. Winnie even gets to a point where she befriends the mistress of her husband. She desires to leave him and searches years to find a way to make it possible.
Along the way she has Hulan, who is actually Pearl’s aunt Helen to help her along the way. Hulan is the pillar of strength for Winnie. She is there when Winnie is at her weakest and strongest. Eventually Winnie does find a way to leave Wen Fu, but Wen Fu seeks his revenge on her. Winnie also finds a different love along the way.
All of this is a lot to digest for Pearl, but as the story continues Pearl learns the things her mother has kept secret and the things her mother has feared.
What I liked: It’s an Amy Tan book so of course I liked it. I can’t call to mind how many Amy Tan books I have read in my life, but I have enjoyed each one.
I liked Winnie she had spunk but also had her flaws, which is important for any character.
I liked the Chinese history included in this story.
This is one of the novels that didn’t really have that paranormal aspect that Amy Tan novels usually have. There are superstitions that is true, but there just isn’t as much of the paranormal included in this book.
What I didn’t like: I am getting to a point where I feel like all Amy Tan novels are about the same thing over and over again. Most of them have characters who had to flee cities or China all together because of either Japanese invasion or the Communist take over of China. It never fails that Amy Tan writes at least one character who has this same story.
I hated Wen Fu. What a jerk!
This whole concept of selling your daughters off for the most gain is deplorable. I know this still happens in the world. I am glad it doesn’t really happen in the states anymore. There are a few areas where things like this still happen though. I just can’t imagine having a child and then saying, “We’re going to sell you, we don’t care what your life turns out like.” It’s hard enough to grow up and become a person in your own right without having other people try to force you into a life you don’t want.
I really like reading about Chinese history, but I really hate some of the practices therein. I am glad most of Amy’s novels are after the whole foot binding era.
I hate all the suffering that Winnie had to go through. I can’t stand it when I hear stories of women who are down-trodden like Winnie. It’s sad.
Overall, this is a great book. Usually Amy Tan splits the novel up into several different perspectives, but this time there were only two. Just Winnie and Pearl and Winnie got most of the spotlight. I think I would have liked it if Pearl had more of a presence in the book. Winnie’s life is our main story in this.
I do like how Winnie ends up as a stand in for the kitchen god’s wife. The woman was strong in all her efforts even though others were bad to her.
So, if you’re into Amy Tan this could be a book you should read.
One-Eleven Books2 