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Robin (Corpus Christi, TX)
A Lady Cyclists Guide to Kasgar
The descriptive imagery in this novel is almost lyrical. The eccentricities of the female characters and their individual motivations for rejecting traditional lives are finely drawn. The two distinct and separate tales in this novel ultimately connect in a surprising and unexpected way.
Sue Z. (Mooresville, NC)
A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar
I found this book to be complex and quite fascinating. The characters evolve in the most interesting ways especially the main character, the lady cyclist. She grows from being quite naive, to having the will to carry on despite sometimes overwhelming odds, while still keeping a touching and sometimes irritating vulnerability. I think the author has perfectly captured the essence of British short-sighted attitude of the the Twenties, when the feeling was that Britain and all things British were superior to anything else to be found anywhere
Anita S. (Santa Barbara, CA)
Fascinating
I loved this book. The stories of the two main women were so fascinating and interesting that I could hardly put the book down. Both women were adventurous and yet were trying to find a place for themselves in the world. As I read the book, I knew that eventually they would be connected in some way which only added to the story. This book is so well written and I felt I could relate to these women. All the characters were well defined and the incidents and descriptions of the locales were intriguing, especially in Kashgar. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a great book. I think book clubs
…more would have a lot to discuss with this book. (less)'A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar' is a compelling novel that weaves two stories that take place in separate times and places, but come together in a surprising and expertly conceived twist. The ‘local color’ is exceptional and the character development is realistic. This will be a great book for book groups – with the issues of parenting, the work of missionaries, war-torn countries, justice, and even self-mutilation in the name of mystical awareness. This is an extremely enjoyable read.
Margaret B. (Pompano Beach, FL)
A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar by Suzanne Joinson
When three missionary ladies traveling saw a young girl in the middle of the road having a baby, they stopped and helped her. There were other travelers who stood and watched but did not help. The mother died and the missionary ladies were accused of killing the mother. The author describes every scene so vividly that I felt I was there. With the descriptions of the food, such as nutneg and cottage cheese sandwiches, I was glad I wasn't. The book gives wonderful description what life was like in1923 in Kashgar.
Grace W. (Corona del Mar, CA)
Amazing women in amazing times
Suzanne Joinson's novel is engaging, weaving an adroitly balanced story set in the time frames of 1923 and today. The book grabbed me at the first page and kept my interest throughout. The pacing between the two time periods was exceptionally well done. The characters and locations, as well as the tensions between the Moslem and Christian worlds, came to life on the page. My only let-down was that the book ended. Ms. Joinson left me wanting to read her next book.
Marjorie (Florida)
Intimately real and hauntingly shocking.
Vulgar and blunt, yet achingly rhymatic in a harmonious prose that seeps into your conscienceness. The text challenges your preconceptions of the literary world but dares you to connect to the stark harshness of the locale. A foreign world that blinks through your mind, flirting with your imagination, such as a film reel spun out of control. The brutal observations are written in such a lush descriptive narrative that words congeal together nearly at too fast of a pace. There is a disconnection in dichotomy between the lives of the protagonists and the interplay of the native land.
Five women, four of the past,
…more one of the present, set off on a journey that none of them signed up to partake in. They are cast into an impossible sequence of circumstances that lead three of them to a journey towards personal enlightenment. It is these women who stand out to the unsuspecting reader as the main voices of the evolving story: Evangeline, Ai-Lien, and Frieda. You become a purveyor of their thoughts and emotions as one might discover whilst digging through a personal diary. Intimately real and hauntingly shocking. Their fragility and frailties split open and raw on the printed page. (less)This book was interesting from the standpoint of life in Turkistan in the 1920's. The unrest was very realistically described as were the desert scenes. The main characters were strong women with stong survival skills. I would not recommend this as reading for any of my three book clubs as I felt all the characters could have been better developed. I felt I learned more about the places than the people.
