I can't say I enjoyed reading this book but I could not stop myself from having deep feelings for the characters in the it.--especially Emma who was called upon to grow up and take on too many responsibilities. Of course I felt very emotional about what happened to Maddy-- …more no question about that. All the characters had good reason to be in the plot some not as important as others but each believable and and necessary contributors to the action. Even Zelda foreshadowed Mandy's ability to say things she never was able to in the past. I could not atop reading because it was important for me to learn the fate of the characters and to learn what happens to this family. Every family member needs someone or something. The problem is how to find out what that need is and to fulfill it truthfully and not hide behind false words to be honest even if you hurt a loved one is arriving at maturity in your life and making your relationships grounded in reality and able to survive all the problems which attack it in daily living and build a life together not on one dominant behavior over another.

Maddy summed up her life with Ben by saying she didn' t have an accident of life but an accident of marriage. (less)

Does the use of the word "mating" in the title of the book tried to get people to relate to their animal-like behavior and negotiate that response to a contemporary interpretation of a "human" response.

I had no preconceived idea of animal instinct when I began to read the …more book but I did find characters in the book lacking in a number of ways: lack of responsibility for their weak behavior with the important people in their life and the shallowness of their character. But later when I read further into the story I began to feel that a turn-around was beginning to take place in character development by a change in their outlook.They began to allow themselves to think about interactions with family relationships and begin to have more positive and honest feed-back in these relationships as well as to understand their responsibilities as an adult.

I liked the idea of an introductory paragraph to each chapter in which an animal's behavior is tied to the character(s) entering the story at that point and their resemblance to the animal's description in the opening paragraph. This is a good idea carrier and the reader is sure to get the message. I also think the animals' introduction is part of the reason for the word "mating" in the title. This vehicle describes characters' psychology in animal terms which is a turn-about from their original orientation. It's as if they don't have a choice in their actions because they were brought up that way and it gives us a better understanding of their behavior--is it also possible that mating is more of an important meaning because people need the touch of others more than they need a slip of paper (legal contract). In the end they become true to their proclivities and responsible in an honest and mature way to their lifes' problems and experiences. That understanding is reached at novel's end.

I progressed from feeling a distaste of the characters and their behavior to a full acceptance of their final emotional state Book is certainly worthwhile reading, especially to see how the character evolution takes place. My eyes were opened wider to see how the characters fulfilled the reality of their transformation. (less)

The main characters in the novel are well fleshed out and totally believable. The story is sad but with an outcome that leaves the reader with hope for all those people in the story. The story is well written with all the issues defined. The characters are so well written …more that you feel you've known them for years. Each has his own problems which are made very clear so there is no misunderstanding of the reasons behind them and how they affect the actions and reactions of the characters in the story.

Both mothers in the story,Hannah and Olivia, reflect their emotional distress in an understandable way.The reader can easily identify with them and can easily see where they are coming from. The responses are readily understandable and acceptable to the reader. The author expresses disfunctional dynamics realistically amd honestly. Her expressions of fear and needs leads readers to explore their own fears and needs at the level described in the novel. The problems describred in the novel are universal and everyone has experienced some aspect of their dangers and complications.

Even though the story is heartbreaking there is in the end a positive spin on the outcome of the dangereous situations. This novel deserves a wide audience odfeaders. It is a worthy expression of sorrow and hope. (less)

The phoenix has arisen with the introduction of Benfu and Calli. Their blended family is a fantastic accomplishment of what a family should and could be. Their ability to understand their children and to motivate them to thinking and behaving on a high level is miraculous.

…more The story takes place during the era of Mao's Cultural Revolution and describes what isn't accomplished and the horrors of the results of his thinking and what is happening to Benfu as a result of his uncooperative behavior. This becomes a story about the redemption of the human spirit through the life if one couple whose family is an example of what a family could be even under the poorest circumstances. The attitude developed in this family, if it could be transferred to other families, could result in better understanding and less hatred amongst people. It is a beautiful thing to watch and learn from. I adored this story and the characters who inhabited it. When I began reading I was taking notes until I became so involved with the story's action that I could only read to get to the meat of the story and learn what was happening to the characters. It became impossible for me to put the book down and it became a compulsion for me to finish it.

This was one of the most wonderful stories I read in a long time. I would recommend it for book clubs and for its uplifting experience for all readers. I hated to finish the book until I learned at the end that the author was writing a sequel how wonderful for me because then the story would not end. (less)