Night Bookers Book Club's Discussion of Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama

The group had a lively discussion of Women of the Silk. Everybody loved the book. People liked the way the way the writer presents things in a book, in an easy to read format. It was even easy to read the sad parts of the book. They enjoyed learning about the Chinese culture from 1919-1938. The oppression of women in the book was an eye-0pener. Pei's sister Li ends up worse than Pei. Li has an abusive husband, but continues to go back to him because she does not want to bring shame to her family. Pei's mother, Yu-sung, is one of the saddest characters in the book. Her husband, Pao, refuses to communicate with her, and she had noone else to talk to. Pao does not how to communicate to his family even when Pei returns after many years. Pei actually is the fortunate one. Although it seems cruel to be abandoned by her family and given to the silk trade, it is the best thing that could have happened to her. She becomes part of a sisterhood of women who nurture and educate each other. It did not suprise one woman that a group of women did this. She meets Lin, who iss educated, and who she becomes very close to. The hairdressing ceremony that Chen Ling, Ming, Lin, and Pei go through is a passage to adulthood just like marriage, except they vow to never marry. People were suprpised there was not more physical degradation of the characters in the factory. The book only mentions that their hands are arthritic. There was discussion as to why the women in the silk factory are at peace all the time despite so many obstacles. Some said it was because that culture is reserved. Others said they didn't have a l0t, and sometimes less is more. The more you have the more you worry. Others said it was a consistency of life, not having to make many decisions about their day. The thing that was new is they have the choice to stay working in the factory and not to marry. The women have good leadership, too, under Auntie Yee, Lin, Chen Ling, and Moi. Without Lin and Chen Ling there would not have been a strike. Although most of the men in the book are portrayed negatively, Lin's younger brother, Ho Yung, is portrayred positively. Without him, Pei and her new friend Ji Shen, who suffered the horrors of the Japanese at Nanking, could not have escaped the Japanese and gone to Hong Kong. The group talked about Lin's mother, the mean ice queen, who is cruel to Pei. Some thought Lin's mother realizes Lin is loving her best friend Pei, and is disappointed. Lin's mother wanted Lin to follow in her footsteps and marry a wealthy, prominent man. Lin's mother has a breakdown when her husband is murdered, and loses her status. Lin keeps the house going, and gives them her income from her work in the silk factory. Someone commented that women do to much but that society does not value it. One person gave an overall sum up of the book: women start off being victimized but end up successful.