The Cooked Seed (3)

THE COOKED SEED by Anchee Min

It’s a sequel!

RATING SYSTEM

1 – I did not like the book at all.

2 – It was decent, but I would not recommend it.
3 – It was an enjoyable read. Recommendation could go either way.
4 – It was a very good book. I would recommend it.
5 – It was an excellent book! Must read!!
6 – A new personal favorite – new top ten spot. Must read!

BOOK RATING

I give this book a 3.

“THE COOKED SEED” SYNOPSIS

Ten years later, this is Anchee Min’s sequel to her first book/memoir Red Azalea. Red Azalea was about Anchee’s experience growing up in Communist China under the dictatorship of Mao Zedong & his disastrous Cultural Revolution.

The Cooked Seed begins with Anchee attaining an American Visa (an almost impossible thing back then) to attend an art college in Chicago, Illinois with the help of her childhood friend/Hollywood actress Joan Chen (The Last Emperor).

Arriving in America, Anchee speaks zero English and is almost sent back to China because of it. Through the kindness of the interpreter at the airport, Anchee is given six months to learn English through her college or she will be deported.

This is the story of Anchee’s struggle to survive and assimilate in America. All these years later she is now an American citizen, a famous author and is happily married with a daughter. It is not the destination, but the story of her journey that is fascinating.

STATS

 
Pages:                         361
Published Year:        2013     
Personal Rating:       3 (of 6)
Type:                           Library
Genre:                         Non-fiction, Sequel

THOUGHTS

So, first of all, this book was better for me than Red Azalea. This is not to say Red Azalea was bad, but this book captured me more.

Second of all, I see this book in three parts (although it’s not actually separated): her assimilation to American culture & her struggle learning English, her first marriage, & her second marriage.

I thought the first part was so fascinating. Here is this young girl coming from Communist China & the depths of poverty to America where even the poor have clothes and shoes and a bit of food. Her college dorm looks like a palace to her and every meal looks like a feast! It’s amazing to see things from her eyes – the differences in culture and lifestyle. This part of the book I devoured.

I didn’t really like the story of her first marriage because it upset me. It was about 100 pages and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. It’s a good story, but it just made me feel uneasy. (I also read this part at the DMV, which didn’t help the experience. Haha, jk.)

The third part was good and interesting, but not as fascinating as the first.

Overall, I would say this was a pretty good book and an interesting read – particularly if you are interested in different cultures and languages. My recommendation would be that I would also “give or take” this book. It is not a must-read, but it’s not a don’t-read either. If it sounds good to you, then give it a try.

PERSONAL

Today is my birthday!! I’ve had a really nice weekend with my friends, family & boyfriend!!

Don’t forget to check out the Facebook page for the new soap company I’m starting: Facebook.com/AshleySoaps!