Meh. Was this really Amy Tan??? This was nowhere near as captivating as her other books that I've read - Joy Lucky Club, The Kitchen God's Wife, or the Bonesetter's Daughter. None of the main characters were particularly interesting or sympathetic. There were a couple of secondary characters that were appealing at times, but overall I just kept thinking "how much longer???" and "will this get better???". Alas, it did not.

It's like Memoirs of an Annoying Courtesan.

I only gave it two stars for Magic Gourd.