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Oh those madcap Jazz Age writers!  The insults fly (Alexander Woollcott to Edna Ferber wearing a tailored suit: “Why, Edna, you look almost like a man.”  “So do you,” she replied), the gin flows and the quips are unending as Marion Meade takes...

In the fictional Pearl of China, Anchee Min explores the life of Pearl S. Buck as described by her girlhood friend, a local Chinese peasant named Willow. Min begins with a description of their growing up together in a small town in China, where Pearl Buck's father was a Christian minister, and Willow's father was a small time hustler and beggar.

This book is a good example of Chinese “scar fiction,” in which the horrors of the Chinese Cultural Revolution are painfully detailed. The terrible events of the time shock the reader’s consciousness. Yet, at the same time Min writes so realistically that Pearl of China reads like an autobiography, rather than a fictional depiction of historical events. Anyone who enjoys Pearl Buck’s writing, who is interested in China, or who enjoys historical fiction will enjoy this book.

Reviewed by Robin Kempf

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My recent road trips were much more enjoyable because I was so engaged into listening to Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell--sometimes I even had to spend some quality time sitting in my driveway because I was so involved in the story.  This enjoyable novel goes from moments of hilarity to moments of terror as it follows a young women on her journey of self-discovery through Southeast Asia.