The Valley Of Amazement

A sweeping, evocative epic of two women’s intertwined fates and their search for identity, which moves from the lavish parlors of Shanghai courtesan houses to the mountains of a remote Chinese village and the fog-shrouded streets of San Francisco

Spanning more than forty years and two continents, Amy Tan’s newest novel maps the lives of three generations of women connected by blood and history—and the mystery of an evocative painting known as “The Valley of Amazement.” Moving from the collapse of China’s last imperial dynasty to the rise of the Republic, the growth of lucrative foreign trade and anti-foreign sentiment, and the inner workings of courtesan houses, The Valley of Amazement interweaves the story of Violet, a celebrated Shanghai courtesan on a quest for both love and identity, and her mother, Lucia, an American woman whose search for penance leads them to an unexpected reunion. The Valley of Amazement is a deeply moving narrative of family secrets, legacies and the profound connections between mothers and daughters, reminiscent of the compelling territory Tan so expertly mapped in The Joy Luck Club. With her characteristic wisdom, grace and humour, Tan conjures up a story of inherited trauma, desire and deception, and the power and stubbornness of love.