The Teller of Small Fortunes

A warm bath of a book. Tao is the wandering teller of small fortunes of the title, and through a series of fairly low-stakes adventures (leavened with just enough awareness that the world is not all sweetness and light to avoid things become saccharine/twee) acquires a found family of her own. There are things I could quibble with in terms of pacing or Julie Leong's ability to write a believable-sounding child character, but this was just the right kind of escapism I needed at just the right time, and I'll definitely be looking out for future books of Leong's.

Wonderful - one of the best things I've read this year. Rich and complex characters, situations ranging from the personal to national to international crises. I love her, and I love the found family that accretes around her. I was seriously crying a couple times - talking to her mother, and near the end. The solution to the quest is a trifle convenient, but someone would have located her eventually. This will be a multiple reread, I'm sure - and I suspect I'll see new things every time I read it.

The beautiful cover drew me in, I very rarely read fantasy but this book spoke to my heart. I am saving my copy for the next time I see my son and grandkids from Shanghai. There are so many wonderful happenings, characters and magic in this book. The importance of family and elements of Asian culture wind through this book.

I loved how the main character Tao felt that she did not belong any more in the country that she was born in or in the new country that she was in. My husband is an immigrant and my son now works in China. Both are straddling two cultures. But that is not all, When Tao fled her country as a small girl and became a teller of small fortunes, she had a secret that made her feel so bad but as she journeys in the new show more country, she meets and obstacle and adds two unique friends, one who loves creating poetry and is searching for his daughter and a reformed thief. Later, as fortune would have it, a young woman baker who makes delicious jams but not so good looking pastries joins the group. A cat with its unique abilities and the donkey, Laohu which means lion in Chinese have their own special traits.

This book is very special and it needs to be shared with all your family! show less

Tao is a wandering fortune teller. She doesn’t predict life changing events, but small things, like when a cow will calve or who the barmaid will kiss. In her travels, she eventually joins forces with mostly reformed thief, a practicing baker, a man looking for his missing young daughter, and a somewhat magical cat. But Tao has a secret she hasn’t shared with everyone yet, even though it may affect all of them. This lovely and gentle fantasy may not be a page turner in the same way a thriller is, but it will, nevertheless, keep you turning pages. Tao will have to decide if her abilities are a blessing or a curse, to herself and to others. As she grows and comes into her own, the story takes on a deeper meaning and resonance. Well show more written and peopled with delightful characters, readers will find themselves immersed in this warm and wonderful debut novel. show less

Families are messy and often those we are born into don't work. This is Tao's lot. She lost her father right at the time she discovered her fortune telling ability and still feels a sense of guilt. After making a painful choice to leave home and make her way in a cramped wagon by telling what she calls 'small fortunes', She's mostly content, but then a reformed thief and ex-mercenary, both older and seeking the mercenary's lost daughter, coerce her into joining in the search. What follows involves a new understanding of family, trust, and loyalty, not to mention moments of delight and high adventure. Truly a reading delight.

Lovely ad-friend-ture, about finding companionship that eases your burdens, gives purpose to your days and allows the space to move on from old hurts. It's slow and gentle for the most part. I enjoyed the characters very much, and I enjoyed how they challenged and supported each other. The only part that felt a bit off was the sudden insertion of a D&D hero adventure in the midst of their wanderings -- I wonder if it's a teaser for tales yet to be told. Just enough conflict, just enough sass. Very nice.

Also listened to it on audiobook -- well read.

Tao travels around the country in a mule-drawn wagon, telling small fortunes. She can't tell you if it's going to be a good harvest, or about matters of life or death, but she might see you buying a new shirt, or traveling to the next town over, or lending a pot to your careless neighbor who will dent it. On her travels, she is joined by Marsh, an ex-mercenary, and Silt, an ex- (really! he promises!) thief, then by Kina, a baker, and Fidelitus, a cranky cat. This unlikely group bands together in search of Leah, Marsh's missing daughter -- a quest that will eventually lead Tao to confront her past as a child of two countries who feels at home in neither.

This is a lovely cozy fantasy featuring a band of friends who eventually become found show more family. It has a similar feel to Becky Chambers' Monk & Robot series, and I would recommend it to fans of that author, or anyone who wants a cozy quest fantasy. show less