I was at times fascinated and appalled by Amy's recounting or her parenting wondering at times if she suffered from OCD. I also had to constantly keep an open mind and not condemn her culturally different parenting. Book clubs could feast on this book with rich discussions of the Western vs Chinese or Asian way of raising children. Could we really achieve much more if we were pushed hard and would we appreciate it later? I've shared the subject of this book with many others who are interested in reading it. The writing was a bit awkward at times which is why I gave it a 3.

The plot centers around a North Korean spy called home from South Korea, and his wife and daughter, but the story is really about what we think we know about people close to us and how this knowledge, or lack thereof, effects the choices we make in life. If you knew the man you were marrying was a spy would you still marry him?

What do you really know about those closest to you? What they think? What they do when you’re not with them? Intriguing questions. We’d probably be surprised by some of the answers.

I enjoyed the questioning of values that the author experiences as he encounters a variety of other blacks or African-Americans, and non-blacks that he initially dismisses when he goes from high school to Georgetown University. The text would make for interesting book club discussions as the individuals could draw parallels to similar soul searching they have made when faced with challenges to their own values.

Reading this book is like listening to someone else's dreams - at times very strange with what the characters choose to do, to how they interact with each other or interesting when characters are faced with difficult circumstances without good options. But is also like listening to another's dreams since at times I didn't care - it was a bit tedious particularly with the focus on negative odors from toilets, latrines or a hole in the ground. These odors are at work, home and waft off of the characters - yuck!

I enjoyed that the story took place in Russia since I am not familiar with this country. I also appreciated that the author alternated between the characters perspectives for the different chapters.

I really enjoyed the dual perspectives from mother and son on the son's addiction as well as mom's response to the addiction. I found that I wanted to keep picking the book up and read it later into the night than I should have. Even the peripheral characters had depth - mom's boyfriend as one. There was a lot going on - with their lives- the addiction, mental illness and past relationships with other characters and deceased family members.

I'd recommend it for book clubs since there are many decisions - good and bad - and consequences. We'd probably all see a part of our selves in someone.

This book contains mystery, drunkenness, Scottish customs and dialects – sometimes difficult to follow - family secrets and romance. I really enjoyed the book and found myself wondering what the characters were doing even a day after finishing the book. I liked that the author presented the story in first person and third person format and included three generations. Book clubs would enjoy the book since there are many actions and thoughts that would start lively discussions.

I laughed at parts of this book but I also considered not finishing it. I did enjoy it at the end although I did find it confusing at times - possibly because I wasn't paying as much attention in the middle. I did like the variety of characters and would have liked to have read more about the female characters.

While reading A Golden Age I kept making mental comparisons to what I read in the newspapers about the current war in Iraq - religious intolerance, cultural misunderstanding and families damaged by violence. I was very unfamiliar with any history of Bangladesh so I enjoyed learning about this part of the world as well as the story about Rehana, her family and her neighbors at this time in history. After finishing the book I went on line to learn more about Bangladesh and Pakistan.



I would recommend this book for book clubs since there are a number of issues and challenges the different characters face that book club members may not all agree with, creating great topics for discussion.