Daughter of a Bone Setter -- A Work by Amy Tan

Author: Tan Enmei (USA), translated by Zhang Kun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: Since Tan Enmei, a Chinese-American writer, published her breakthrough novel The Joy Luck Club in 1989, she has long transcended the identity of a minority or popular novelist, becoming one of the most renowned first-class writers in the United States and the West. The Bone Weaver's Daughter is Tan Enmei's fourth novel, published in 2001, and can be considered her most autobiographical work, deeply and movingly portraying the relationship between Chinese immigrant mothers and daughters. Mother Rulin suffers from Alzheimer's disease and records her life story and family secrets to prevent forgetting. Daughter Rose is a ghostwriter, and after living with her boyfriend for ten years, she is in a low point in both her career and love life. Through her mother's narrative, we witness the rise and fall of a family of inkmakers in the suburbs of Beijing, the excavation of Beijing human bones, the tragic experiences of the daughter of a bone-setting doctor—the mother of Rulin—and how the sisters survive national and family hardships, eventually arriving in America after leaving behind their past pains. After reading her mother's records, Rose comes to understand her mother's past, recognizes the awkwardness and struggles in her mother's personality, and thus forgives her mother's early hurt toward her. She reflects on the mistakes she made in her youth and delves deeper into her own character issues. In the end, her relationship with her mother and her boyfriend is also reconciled. With the guidance of her ancestors, Rose finds the motivation to give up ghostwriting and begins to write for herself and her family, telling their stories.
(Note: The original text contains some repetitive and slightly disjointed sentences. The translation has been adjusted for clarity and coherence while preserving the original meaning.)