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There are currently 18 member reviews
for Sweet Mandarin
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Jennifer (Tucson AZ)
Interesting story but not enough details
This story of 3 generations of Chinese women is interesting but I felt that it glossed over big pieces of history, such as WWII. Additionally, this is a story that revolves around food, and, unfortunately, there is very little, other than Lily's curry that is explored or expounded upon. I had high hopes for this book, but it was just average.
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Christine (Lilydale MN)
Sweet Mandarin
I enjoyed the story the Helen Tse tells but I had difficulty getting past her many rambling sentences that were almost as long as a paragraph. She also changes tenses a lot within paragraphs. I think the book could garner some interesting discussions at a book club meeting so for that it might be worth reading.
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Mary (River Forest, IL) (River Forest IL)
A slow stroll through an interesting story
I just took a look at other First Impression reviews, and was troubled by the 5-star ones. What had I missed? It was with some relief that I reached the 3 star review from Owensboro, KY. My reaction exactly! She couldn't figure out why, but I think I have - at least for myself. Tse's story is fascinating, Tse's writing is pedestrian - in the true sense of the word. While I read of these remarkable women, especially Tse's grandmother's story, I felt like I was plodding along leisurely, the constant meter of the words lulling me into a disinterest that I knew was betraying me. As it happens, my family roots are in Owensboro, KY - so maybe there's something in our genes? If you're looking for a worthwhile story for a summer day in a hammock, "Sweet Mandarin" would be a good choice - but don't be surprised if that tick-tock tap-tap of the pedestrian pace lulls you into an afternoon nap.
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Jane (Prospect KY)
Sweet Mandarin by Helen Tse
I was a little ambivalent about this book. On one hand it contained a good amount of interesting, historical information about Hong Kong as well as Chinese culture. On the other hand, it just never grabbed my heart .... and the worst thing is, I'm not sure why.
It was an intensely personal account of a family's struggle to keep their family together through financial hardship, particularly through the strength of the central figure, Lily, the author's grandmother.
I felt the author kept the reader at an arm's distance from the "meat" of the story. It could be that she herself was kept at that distance and that's the only way she could retell the story. I felt it would have been a much more memorable read if the author could have lost herself a little more in the actual action of the book and filled in a little bit more to make the book read more smoothly.
It definitely read like an author's first attempt at commercial writing. I don't think it will make any 'must read' list of 2008 but it was an interesting historical perspective on an immigrant family of that era.
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