Beyond the Narrow Gate
This book is in a Controlled Release!
18 journalers for this copy...
Beyond the Narrow Gate is the brave and moving story of four Chinese girls--Dolores, Suzanne, Margaret, and Mary--from their ultimate passage through the "narrow gate" in Communist China to America and their decades-long friendship. Leslie Chang, an American-born journalist and the daughter of Mary, lifts the veils of secrecy, shame, and loss that have for so long hung over the "bamboo generation." What Chang discovers is that the passage from one culture to another came at a great price, both to the women who had undergone it and to the children who were born into its legacy. Beyond the Narrow Gate weaves sagas of friendship and love, sacrifice and success, marriage and loss, as it illuminates one of America's least-documented immigrant experiences. At the same time, this is a deeply personal book: a daughter's discovery of her own history in her mother's past.
Journal Entry 2 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Sunday, February 18, 2007
EMA375 has very kindly agreed to save my previous bookring for this, which has got lost between Japan and the US! Thank you so much!
Ring order:
Previous copy
Xanthe-pup Wales (anywhere)
totoroandmei Japan (Asia/Pacific preferred)
Mairbu Japan (anywhere)
This copy
ldpaulson California, US (US only)
[[Weedragon97 Texas, US (US preferred) ASKED TO BE SKIPPED]]
Mysteryfan03 Missouri, US (anywhere)
momx3lovesbooks Nebraska, US (anywhere)
Buffra West Virginia, US (anywhere)
ajsmom Canada (anywhere)
Brookeworm Canada (anywhere)
sirah Finland (anywhere)
[[Piggeldy Germany (Europe) ASKED TO BE SKIPPED]]
Butterfly-noir Portugal (Europe)
[[Wubbaducky UK (UK) ASKED TO BE SKIPPED]]
Safrolistics UK (UK)
Drusillamac Scotland (international, surface)
scotsbookie UK (UK)
AnglersRest UK (UK)
YowlYY UK (UK)
[[[Merimag UK (UK) ASKED TO BE SKIPPED]]
sjr1969 UK (anywhere)
Heaven-Ali UK (UK) (last person) <---- it's here
Ring order:
Previous copy
Xanthe-pup Wales (anywhere)
totoroandmei Japan (Asia/Pacific preferred)
Mairbu Japan (anywhere)
This copy
ldpaulson California, US (US only)
[[Weedragon97 Texas, US (US preferred) ASKED TO BE SKIPPED]]
Mysteryfan03 Missouri, US (anywhere)
momx3lovesbooks Nebraska, US (anywhere)
Buffra West Virginia, US (anywhere)
ajsmom Canada (anywhere)
Brookeworm Canada (anywhere)
sirah Finland (anywhere)
[[Piggeldy Germany (Europe) ASKED TO BE SKIPPED]]
Butterfly-noir Portugal (Europe)
[[Wubbaducky UK (UK) ASKED TO BE SKIPPED]]
Safrolistics UK (UK)
Drusillamac Scotland (international, surface)
scotsbookie UK (UK)
AnglersRest UK (UK)
YowlYY UK (UK)
[[[Merimag UK (UK) ASKED TO BE SKIPPED]]
sjr1969 UK (anywhere)
Heaven-Ali UK (UK) (last person) <---- it's here
Per email from ldpaulson today she has received the book and read it but has had computer problems at home, hence not journalling it yet. I will get the next reader's address and email it to her. She apologises for any inconvenience caused.
Apologies. I did get the book and immediately dove into it.
BEYOND THE NARROW GATE is wonderful read and a book that I am buying to share with others, particularly to share with students I know from Taiwan who have expressed keen interest in the book. Leslie Chang makes several points in her explanations of the historical context of 1950s China and Taiwan that, in a few words, expanded my viewpoint so entirely that I began to cry.
Once the stories shifted to the United States, I found the lives and the narrative disjointed. Intentional? It was more difficult to keep following the different threads.
BEYOND THE NARROW GATE is wonderful read and a book that I am buying to share with others, particularly to share with students I know from Taiwan who have expressed keen interest in the book. Leslie Chang makes several points in her explanations of the historical context of 1950s China and Taiwan that, in a few words, expanded my viewpoint so entirely that I began to cry.
Once the stories shifted to the United States, I found the lives and the narrative disjointed. Intentional? It was more difficult to keep following the different threads.
On to the next reader once I have a mailing address.
I got this book last weekend as guests were arriving for a few days and then just realized today that I did not journal it! Sorry! I found it a little disjointed and hard to follow. Thanks for letting us read it!!
Received it today! I am CR another bookring, so this will be next! Thanks EM375 for reviving this ring!
In 1937, the year Leslie Chang's mother was born, the city of Nanking was destroyed by Japanese invaders with instructions from the Emperor to *kill all, destroy all, burn all.* Eleven years later, when the Red Army marched into China, Han Man-li's family fled to Taiwan. There, at an elite school in Taipei, Han Man-li met Xio Mei, Ling, and Ma-hua. A few years later, with student visas and scholarships in the possession, the four friends left their homeland, passing through the *narrow gate* of the First Girl's School on their way to America.
But for Han Man-li, Xiao Mei, Ling, and Ma-haua--now Mary, Dolores, Suzanne and Margaret--their journey was just beginning. In cities as far apart as New York and Los Angeles, from the biology lab of a women's college to Wall Street to the gilded Chinese ghetto in California's Palos Verdes, Leslie Chang documents the choices and compromises they made, the struggles they faced, and the rewards they ultimately found.
I usually really enjoy books about this particular time period and about this culture, but this book was really hard for me to get into. I think I read it at the wrong time (wasn't in the mood for it). I enjoyed it, but ended up really not feeing anything for any of the women featured. IMHO it had so much more potential, I felt like I only got the top layer of their lives and I finished the book not really knowning any of them at all.
I pm'd buffra last week (05/17) and just waiting for an addy.
06/04-mailed to buffra via media mail. It was *suppose* to go in the mail while the kids & I were on vacation, but dh forgot. Sorry for holding it up!!
In 1937, the year Leslie Chang's mother was born, the city of Nanking was destroyed by Japanese invaders with instructions from the Emperor to *kill all, destroy all, burn all.* Eleven years later, when the Red Army marched into China, Han Man-li's family fled to Taiwan. There, at an elite school in Taipei, Han Man-li met Xio Mei, Ling, and Ma-hua. A few years later, with student visas and scholarships in the possession, the four friends left their homeland, passing through the *narrow gate* of the First Girl's School on their way to America.
But for Han Man-li, Xiao Mei, Ling, and Ma-haua--now Mary, Dolores, Suzanne and Margaret--their journey was just beginning. In cities as far apart as New York and Los Angeles, from the biology lab of a women's college to Wall Street to the gilded Chinese ghetto in California's Palos Verdes, Leslie Chang documents the choices and compromises they made, the struggles they faced, and the rewards they ultimately found.
I usually really enjoy books about this particular time period and about this culture, but this book was really hard for me to get into. I think I read it at the wrong time (wasn't in the mood for it). I enjoyed it, but ended up really not feeing anything for any of the women featured. IMHO it had so much more potential, I felt like I only got the top layer of their lives and I finished the book not really knowning any of them at all.
I pm'd buffra last week (05/17) and just waiting for an addy.
06/04-mailed to buffra via media mail. It was *suppose* to go in the mail while the kids & I were on vacation, but dh forgot. Sorry for holding it up!!
Finally sent to ajsmom.
I'm so sorry for having delayed it for such a long time. I hope it arrives safely.
I'm so sorry for having delayed it for such a long time. I hope it arrives safely.
Woohoo! Caught today! It also came with a bunch of expired coupons....was someone missing these? :) I have one bookring book ahead of it and then I will get started on it.
I enjoyed it for the history, but I found the writing a little disjointed, and so didn't pay really close attention to the personal stories. It seemed a little judgemental; in a way, I don't think the author ever really appreciated what the four women had gone through, even though she pays each of their journeys lip service. Maybe it's just me.
Anyhoo - an interesting read and I appreciate the chance to have read it. Will PM brookeworm now.
Anyhoo - an interesting read and I appreciate the chance to have read it. Will PM brookeworm now.
Journal Entry 12 by ajsmom at controlled release in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, March 17, 2008
Released 16 yrs ago (3/17/2008 UTC) at controlled release in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Sent to Brookeworm via letter mail today.
Sent to Brookeworm via letter mail today.
I just got back from seeing Evil Dead: The Musical (which I highly recommend) and this was waiting for me in my inbox. Looking forward to it!
Sorry I've been holding this so long. I finished it a while ago, but I got caught up in planning my October wedding, so it got forgotten. I'll mail it off tomorrow.
The way the book was written was not at all what I expected. The author seemed to spend as much time on writing about her own journey to write the book as she did about the book's subjects. I agree with the others that the narrative got quite disjointed. It was difficult to follow the various winding and converging roads of the subjects' journeys and I found myself losing interest once they reached America (this being around the same time that the narration turned inward toward the author, as well). Considering that the 4 subjects were all women, the author should have been more careful with her pronouns, as well; it was impossible sometimes to follow all the "she"s and whom was who's "mother" or "mother's mother".
A quick read that occupied me through a number of commutes to work. At times it was very good, but not consistently enough to make it something I would necessarily recommend.
The way the book was written was not at all what I expected. The author seemed to spend as much time on writing about her own journey to write the book as she did about the book's subjects. I agree with the others that the narrative got quite disjointed. It was difficult to follow the various winding and converging roads of the subjects' journeys and I found myself losing interest once they reached America (this being around the same time that the narration turned inward toward the author, as well). Considering that the 4 subjects were all women, the author should have been more careful with her pronouns, as well; it was impossible sometimes to follow all the "she"s and whom was who's "mother" or "mother's mother".
A quick read that occupied me through a number of commutes to work. At times it was very good, but not consistently enough to make it something I would necessarily recommend.
The book has arrived here in Helsinki. Thank you, Brookeworm, EMA375 and LyzzyBee!
Wouldn´t describe it with any other words than Brookeworm did in her journal entry. Expected more than received.
Have contacted Piggeldy for the address.
Edited July 31st:
Piggeldy asked to be skipped, so I have contacted Butterfly-noir for the address.
Have contacted Piggeldy for the address.
Edited July 31st:
Piggeldy asked to be skipped, so I have contacted Butterfly-noir for the address.
Journal Entry 17 by butterfly-noir from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Friday, August 29, 2008
got it today. It migth have arrived some time ago.but the postman always delivers my packeges at my dad's office and he went on hollidays.
will be placed on the top of mount tbr
thanks
will be placed on the top of mount tbr
thanks
Journal Entry 18 by butterfly-noir from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Friday, September 12, 2008
I had to give up on this book today. i hate when I do that especially whit bookrings. but I'm on a faul mood and whit no pacience to spend in stories I cant relay to.
off course I can't relay whit 4 chinese emigrant women 2 ou 3 generations above mine, it sounds illy to put it like that, let me re-phrase it. I acnt simpathise whit the characters. It looks they really had interesting live stories that deserved to be told but the author cant write thema like that. Its very clear that she, herserlf cant really relay whit the stories, I would even go far enough to say she was some serius issues still to solve whit her mother. I hope this book was a ground breake for her in this sense.
maybe if I was in a better mood...
pming the next in line
off course I can't relay whit 4 chinese emigrant women 2 ou 3 generations above mine, it sounds illy to put it like that, let me re-phrase it. I acnt simpathise whit the characters. It looks they really had interesting live stories that deserved to be told but the author cant write thema like that. Its very clear that she, herserlf cant really relay whit the stories, I would even go far enough to say she was some serius issues still to solve whit her mother. I hope this book was a ground breake for her in this sense.
maybe if I was in a better mood...
pming the next in line
Journal Entry 19 by butterfly-noir from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Tuesday, September 23, 2008
23/09/08
send to safrolistics. wabaducky asked to be skiped
send to safrolistics. wabaducky asked to be skiped
Journal Entry 20 by Safrolistics from Newbiggin-By-The-Sea, Northumberland United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Received in the post today, as always with ring books, just a day after another ring! So promise to get round to reading it asap.
update...26/11/08
I'm so sorry to have had this book so long, I did finish it a while ago, but then my internet access was cut off, and what with lack of funds and things, I've only just been able to post it on!
update...26/11/08
I'm so sorry to have had this book so long, I did finish it a while ago, but then my internet access was cut off, and what with lack of funds and things, I've only just been able to post it on!
Journal Entry 21 by Safrolistics at By Mail, Book Ring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Released 15 yrs ago (11/26/2008 UTC) at By Mail, Book Ring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
This is now going to the next person in the ring.
This is now going to the next person in the ring.
Journal Entry 22 by Drusillamac from Glasgow, Scotland United Kingdom on Saturday, December 13, 2008
Apologies, I am a bad Bookcrosser and forgot to journal this book when it arrived a few weeks ago. Thanks to Lyzzybee and EMA375 for sharing :)
Chang is conducting a mircostudy into the lives of four Chinese women who emigrated to America in the 1950s. The connection between these four women is that they all attended a high school in Taiwan. Other relationships become clear such as some individuals who sit uncomfortable between East and West. Chang cites a term attached to this generation of Chinese immigrants - the bamboo generation. They appear strong and supple but are hollow inside. This is certainly true of these four women. None of them seem content inside. Chang's mother, one of the four women, rarely seems satisfied and is always pushing herself to perform better at work. And frequently puts her work before her family. Leslie herself refuses to learn any form of the Chinese language. In the final chapter she admits she can never order her favourite meals in a Chinese restaurant because her parents have always done so for her.
All in all, not a bad read but it did take me a while to get into it. Sometimes I'd want to put the book down after four pages but I pushed with it. This morning I was surprised when I hit the last page in what seemed like no time at all.
Shall be sent onto the next participant once I get an address.
All in all, not a bad read but it did take me a while to get into it. Sometimes I'd want to put the book down after four pages but I pushed with it. This morning I was surprised when I hit the last page in what seemed like no time at all.
Shall be sent onto the next participant once I get an address.
Journal Entry 24 by Drusillamac from Glasgow, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 14, 2009
This is being posted off to Scotsbookie tomorrow.
Journal Entry 25 by scotsbookie from Peebles, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Apologies for the delay in journalling this the arrival of this book but unfortunately I have been poorly. Thanks to drusillamac for sending it on to me & LyzzyBee for organising the bookring.
An enjoyable read. I like these types of books in which I learn something, I've read several books about the plight of women in Communist China who move to the US but never from the poiint of view of those who left China for Tiawan & then on to China. I had no problems with the way it was written with Leslie's account of finding out her mother & friends stories interspersed with THE stories.
Thank you LyzzyBee. I have AnglersRest's addy so will get this on its way asap.
Thank you LyzzyBee. I have AnglersRest's addy so will get this on its way asap.
Journal Entry 27 by scotsbookie at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, February 12, 2009
Released 15 yrs ago (2/13/2009 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Apologies for the delay in sending. Enjoy!
Apologies for the delay in sending. Enjoy!
Arrived today with another ring which I shall devour first!
I struggled with this book, which was more me than the author. Nonetheless, I was complelled to finish it, which explains the delay along with my poor memory in emailing YowlYY. As soon as I have had a reply, this will be winging its way to the Midlands!
Journal Entry 30 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, October 3, 2009
Will try to source another copy for this seemingly-doomed bookring! Watch this space for a link to copy 3...
This is one of 7 books which were posted in May and returned to me via Royal Mail. Having been made aware that some post did not reach it's intended destination I wrote a letter of complaint. I am guessing other customers did too, as I received a letter from Royal Mail which indicated that an audit had been conducted and as a result of that, some items of post were being returned to me, so that I could identify if anything was still missing. This is one of those items. I shall be reposting this item off again on Thursday, and fingers cross it makes it to its destination!
I had completely forgotten this book - it has been so long since AnglersRest emailed me for my address! Now I see that this book has been on a very wild trip itself, luckily for it now it's here with me, safe and sound!
I am currently reading three books, so I shall start what seems to be a very interesting read as soon as I am done with one of the three.
Thanks again for sharing, and to AnglersRest for her perseverance :)
Update 20.10.09: I contacted Merimag for her address, but she wrote that she would rather pass this time, so I will contact the next on the list soon.
I am currently reading three books, so I shall start what seems to be a very interesting read as soon as I am done with one of the three.
Thanks again for sharing, and to AnglersRest for her perseverance :)
Update 20.10.09: I contacted Merimag for her address, but she wrote that she would rather pass this time, so I will contact the next on the list soon.
I managed to read halfway through, but sadly I could not bear to read any further. The story could have been so much more interesting if only the writer had shown a bit of feeling. I was tempted to write that I had just chosen a bad moment to read the book, hence the lack of enthusiams from my side, but going through the JEs I can see that I am not alone here, and the majority of the readers had problems in "connect" with the people and narrative.
Oh well, nevermind... plenty of books waiting for me, and this one is now on its way to Birmingham to visit sjr1969. Hopefully she'll enjoy it more, or at least will manage to finish it!
Thanks again for sharing!
Oh well, nevermind... plenty of books waiting for me, and this one is now on its way to Birmingham to visit sjr1969. Hopefully she'll enjoy it more, or at least will manage to finish it!
Thanks again for sharing!
Journal Entry 34 by YowlYY at Nottingham, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Released 14 yrs ago (12/2/2009 UTC) at Nottingham, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
In the mail to sjr1969, next for the bookring. Enjoy!
In the mail to sjr1969, next for the bookring. Enjoy!
Journal Entry 35 by sjr1969 from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, December 5, 2009
recieved from YowlYY yesterday.
Journal Entry 36 by sjr1969 from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, January 30, 2010
This was a complex read - in the sense that I enjoyed the the author bitching about wanting to know her heritage - directly after boasting about how integrated she is!
This would have worked as a history of her mother only in my view, however I am unsure how reliable the history is given the reluctance of her mother to relive that part of her life.
will take this to the BC Brum meeting today for Heaven-Ali.
This would have worked as a history of her mother only in my view, however I am unsure how reliable the history is given the reluctance of her mother to relive that part of her life.
will take this to the BC Brum meeting today for Heaven-Ali.
Journal Entry 37 by Heaven-Ali from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, January 30, 2010
wow this has been on a journey - first registered almost 6 years ago too - looking forward to reading it soon.
Journal Entry 38 by Heaven-Ali from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Sunday, February 21, 2010
The four women that we meet in Beyond the Narrow Gate, were all born in mainland China, later living, and attending high school together, in Taiwan. For many years Leslie Chang's mother didn't see these girls again - but eventually they met up and friendships developed. It is quite startling how alike these women and their expierences were. Leslie Chang describes Chinese people like her mother and her school friends as being like bamboo - strong on the outside but hallow inside. The place that these women had come from had a very real effect on how they lived their lives in America. Overall I enjoyed this book and found that I did become interested in and involved with the women whose lives in America Chang has faithfully researched and written about. I admit that I found the book a little hard to get into at first, and there were times when I felt things were a bit disjointed and I got irritated by long sections of he said she said repeated conversations that were really just family anecdotes. But it is a very readable biography, and I suddenly realised at some point that I had become really interested in Mary, Suzanne, Dolores and Margaret and their families. Leslie Chang has written this book with a lot of affection and it become apparent that in researching the lives of her mother and her fiends she learns a good deal too.
Journal Entry 39 by Heaven-Ali at Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Friday, February 26, 2010
Released 14 yrs ago (2/27/2010 UTC) at Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
If you have found this book, thank you for taking the time to look it up on the internet. Now please tell us what you thought of the book and what your plans for it are.
If you have found this book, thank you for taking the time to look it up on the internet. Now please tell us what you thought of the book and what your plans for it are.
Journal Entry 40 by Brumbie from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, February 27, 2010
Picked up at today's meetup.
Journal Entry 41 by Brumbie from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, March 20, 2010
Leslie Chang took enormous risks in writing this book about four women who left China via Taiwan and ended up in America. She risked alienating her mother and her friends, she risked misinterpreting their stories and she risked putting her own identity up for analysis. In the end I think she achieved a remarkable account of four very different women by including herself, American born, in the narrative. Inevitably her mother and her friends found it difficult to be completely frank about their lives and the changes they had made to re-invent themselves in a completely different society than the one in which they were born and educated. When she returns to China with her mother, Mary, she is shocked at her mother's ignorance of Chinese history. Mary's quest is to find a pair of the cotton slippers she remembers as being the most comfortable shoes she has ever worn. Of course, when she does they are not comfortable at all. Perhaps quite rightly, the has put the past behind her. Not particularly easy to read but well worth the effort.
Released 14 yrs ago (3/26/2010 UTC) at Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
In box under table. As you can see, this book is on a journey. When you have finished with it would you please journal it and send it on its way. Happy reading!
In box under table. As you can see, this book is on a journey. When you have finished with it would you please journal it and send it on its way. Happy reading!
