http://thebookwormslibrary.com/?p=562... ( )

This was a very detailed story of Hong Kong in the 1930 , how women survived during the occupation, before and after.

Follow-up novel to Women of the Silk. Pei and Ji Shen have escaped to Hong Kong as the Japanese take over China. This is the continuation of how they start over of the island, the changes when the Japanese take over Hong Kong, and the new life they struggle to make. Really quick read and good story. ( )

Another enjoyable read.

Set in Hong Kong before and during World War II, this book, like Snow Falling on Cedars, gave me a here-to-fore unseen (by me) glimpse of people dealing with the consequences of war.

The Language of Threads follows Pei and Jei Shin, whom we met in Women of the Silk, as she flees the Japanese in China for Hong Kong. We watch as the two women settle into their new life, only to have their lives disrupted again as the Japanese follow them to Hong Kong.

Pei reminds me of Celie in The Color Purple, a lowly woman surviving and then triumphing. The parallels include, but aren't limited to, the lost sister and the means to success. ( )

The Language of Threads is the sequel to Tsukiyama's successful first novel 'Women of the Silk'. It tells the story of Pei, who travels with the orphan Ji Shen to Hong Kong. She has to start her life anew, whilst living through the Japanese occupation. This is a story set in a fascinating time and place, with some interesting characters.

I think that this book is an improvement over its predecessor. The writing is much less laboured, and the dialogue flows a little better. The characters are fleshed out a little more, and we understand their motivations better. The book refers often to events and actions in the preceding book - I think you would really have to have read 'Women of the Silk' to know what is being talked about some of the time.

This is not the best novel i have read set in this time or place, but stacked up against her previous effort, it looks okay. Tsukiyama is obviously finding herself as a writer the more she does it, and if i come across another of her novels in the future i will probably read it. ( )