Peony (1948)

Peony is about the Chinese Jews of Kaifeng, a tapestry of history and fiction. It is a very interesting and timely book to read around Passover when stories are told of being in exile. Buck captured issues of being different versus assimilation along with universal struggles of faith and wove all this into the Chinese culture in the early 1800's. As I read I had vivid pictures in my mind of my own visit to China and various Chinese theatrical performances I have seen. I learned a lot from this novel about the history of Jews in China and their role in commerce. In short this is a masterful story, simple and profound,
about family ties and love and although written in the late 40's, still timely. Cyrille Cobe - May 2010

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This was my first (and still only) Pearl S. Buck book and I cherish it. While the summery makes it sound like a romance it is more about the historical background of the Jews escaping to live in China and how the two clash culturally. Very interesting, though slow at first. Once I made it past the beginning the two main ideals that make up this book became fascinating to me and I could not put it down. This is the most quotable book I have in my repertoire when it comes to religion, spirituality and human nature. Here are two of my favorites: 1) “If there is a God and He is what you say, He will be too sensible to ask me to believe in what I have not seen.” 2) "All business should have its human connections. The more human every relationship could be, the more sound it was, the more lasting." ( )

A short synopsis of this plots makes it seem like a romance. It's not. Peony is a "bondwoman", having been sold to a Jewish family when she was 8, as a companion for their only child, David. The children are now marriageable age. David's mother wants him to marry Leah, the beautiful and dutiful daughter of the Rabbi. His father wants him to marry Keilein, the beautiful younger daugter of his business associate. Peony, also quite beautiful, loves David, but knows he cannot marry her. However, her chances of happiness in the house would be much better if he married Keilein than Leah. This book encompasses 50 years in the lives of the Jewish family and their friends. Along the way the reader gets the history fo the Jews in China and the history of China as it unfolds from 1950 to the turn of the century.

My only complaint in this book was that there was only one "bad" character, Aaron. Even he was only lazy and greedy, not evil. Everyone else was good with small character flaws, such as pettiness or pride. Otherwise, this is a wonderful character driven plot about China in the 1950s. ( )

This is the first book I've read by Pearl S. Buck. I recall reading a short story of hers in the 6th grade, and while I don't recall which story it was, it made a lasting impression on me that I really liked Pearl Buck's writing. I've picked up The Good Earth numerous times but have never gotten the gumption to buy it, much less read it.

I found a short summary of Peony in Bookmarks several years ago under the "Have You Read?" section, and I wrote the title down and placed it on my Amazon Wish List. Finally, after perusing my reads from last year (oh, so dreary), I set myself up a challenge where I would read the books I've been wanting to read for a while, and Peony made its way finally into my home.

My review: The writing is lovely. Miss Buck had a way with describing people and the scenes in such a wonderful way that made it easy to imagine, yet her writing style seems so simple and effortless to the common reader. I didn't want to, but I fell in love with Peony, who I wrongly found to be a manipulating busy-body at first. I thought she was thinking of what was best for herself, and perhaps in a small way she was, but on a larger scale she was thinking only of what was best for David, the man she loved.

She was exquisite in everything she did: her manners were flawless, her self-sacrifice was heartbreaking. You could imagine this small, beautiful young girl who could have had everything she desired if she only thought less of the others in her household. She was bought as a young child, considered property to some, but she loved and respected the people who took her away from her family and her people and placed her in a strange household of foreigners. She was treated well, almost as an equal, but not worthy enough in many aspects, especially to Madame Ezra, who loved Peony, yet constantly reminded her of her place in the household.

This was a beautiful little book, and because of it I have it in my mind that this is the year to pick up The Good Earth. ( )