23 April 2001
Ruth Neilson

Known for her forays into the Chinese mother-daughter relationship, Tan is often ignored as a writer for what's considered to be her repetitive subject matter. It was only to be expected, then, that this latest novel would once again dissect the familial relationship of a second generation American Chinese woman and her Chinese-born mother. In Joy Luck the mother-daughter issue is multiplied by four, and numerous stories unfold, but in 'The Bonesetter's Daughter' Tan takes a slightly different approach, limiting the tale to one family history. The story is specifically about three women, primarily Luling Liu Young and her American-born daughter, Ruth. This story, however, has a different pace than Tan's previous works, and with the feel almost of a detective story we watch Ruth unravel the truth behind her maternal generational history as we, as readers, unravel the story.

The key theme to the novel is truth; of what is true, of what is hidden, of what's forgotten and what is ignored. Tan cleverly weaves layers of stories together so we are discovering layers of characterisation, family history and truth, as the characters themselves uncover bones through layers of mud back in China during Luling's childhood.

Within all writing there is an element of autobiography and this has been discussed in relation to Tan's novels previously. However, this latest book is of particular interest and significance right from the start with its dedication:

'On the last day that my mother spent on earth, I learned her real name, as well as that of my grandmother.
This book is dedicated to them.
Li Bingzei and Gu Jingmei.'

Tan's own mother, Daisy, died during the writing of the novel after suffering from Alzheimer's, like the lead character's own mother, Luling. Other stories which occur within the tale have been confirmed by Tan as episodes from her own life, including an incidence of Luling's deterioration where she swears that she was at the scene of the OJ Simpson 'murder' and thesubsequent police chase. Indeed, after the final revelation from Tan's mother the day she died, Tan went back and rewrote the book, incorporating the new twist in her own life into that of her novel's heroine. All of this adds extra elements to the text; of voyeurism on the part of the reader, and also another level to the theme of truth running throughout.

Tan's heroine, Ruth Young, is one of her most fully-formed characters to date (indeed, Tan's own middle name is Ruth). She is a beautifully portrayed character, interestingly flawed, and fascinatingly fragile yet at the same time incredibly strong. She's a ghost writer for numerous self-help books, decoding the psycho-babble of narcissistic authors into marketable, and readable, non-fiction. Through the book we watch her struggle with her mother's illness, having spent her childhood deciphering her mother's Chinese. Interpreting for her in English, Ruth must now decipher the reality behind the confused reactions of her increasingly impaired mother. Ruth finds herself discovering who she really is and who others think she is.

For a long-awaited novel, it is a satisfying read, a true page-turner. The portions of the novel set in China are wonderfully depicted and her writing flows easily. Sometimes disturbing, sometimes violent, often humorous and frequently moving, Tan's latest work is well worth a good, long read, or even two...

Buy it now!