Spring Moon, by Bette Bao Lord

Read, reviewed, and given to a friend in June, 2015

I didn't want this book to end!
Spring Moon is a family saga, continuing through several generations, through many wars and revolutions. China has had a very turbulent history, and this is reflected in the fictional families of Chang and Woo. We follow the young girl, Spring Moon (born in 1877) into adolescence and womanhood, marriage, motherhood, heartbreak and tragedy. Her mother-in-law, on her deathbed, predicts that Spring Moon will live to see five generations.
Mrs. Lord is an excellent writer, conveying the history of China through the eyes of one woman and her family. At the same time we are brought into the sequestered world of 19th century privileged women, confined and bound by tradition, but still feeling hope, love, and despair behind closed doors. Each chapter begins with ancient tale, legend, or note of history, which adds understanding. Also, there is a timeline of the events of Chinese history from the ancient legendary era to 1981, the date of the book's publication.