Petals From The Sky

Deeply Buddhist, an interesting read with a foreseeable ending. I was bogged down a third of the way through the book with too much indecision on the part of the heroine.

This was a fascinating book with much good insight into the world of modern Buddhism as well as a touching love story. I have traveled to Hong Kong many times and could relate to the parts of the book that took place in temples there, so much so that I want to go back and find those temples described in the book. I loved learning about life in the Buddhist nunnery and the lives of the nuns.

MingMei Yip writes a beautiful tale about a 30 yr old woman, Meng Ning who is torn between her love to be a Buddhist nun and Michael. Meng Ning joins a retreat to " test her karma to be a nun". When she pays her fee for the retreat, she is told that her $500 dollar bill is a fake. When she was in Paris, she had asked a friend to exchange her Hong Kong money in the black market. How could she have known it was fake? As she was trying to talk to the registration lady about her situation, a man asked if he could help. Meng Ning explains to him what happened and he pulls out his wallet and pays the lady the money. Meng Ning thanks him repeatedly and tells him she'll pay him back. His name is Michael Fuller and this is the starting of Meng Nings confusion. The story doesn't slow down, it keeps moving with beautiful descriptions of China and the exotic life of Buddhist nuns. I loved every minute of it and am looking forward to reading her other books. Natalie :0) ~~[...]

I really enjoyed this book- the descriptions of places and cultures were wonderful. Definately worth reading!

I loved Mingmei Yip's first novel, Peach Blossom Pavilion and had been eagerly waiting for her next. I had particular anticipation because the book cover is so beautiful -- a work of art. I was thrilled that the writing is as beautiful and fascinating as its cover. It is the story of a young woman, Meng Ning, whose life changes one day, when at thirteen, she was accidentally knocked into a well. Terrified in the wet darkness, she found sudden comfort from a Guan Yin pendant thrown down by a Buddhist nun - her future mentor. Since then Meng Ning was fascinated by Buddhism - she frequented the Golden Lotus Temple, befriended nuns, and studied the culture, philosophy, arts, and the many mysteries inside the "Empty Gate." As a child, Meng Ning was saddened by her parents' constant quarrelling even their union was supposedly based on love. In comparison to her family life, that of the nuns seemed carefree, peaceful and satisfying. Meng Ning thought her path was decided. On her return from studying in Paris, she joined a Buddhist retreat to get a taste of life within the empty gate. Then a fire broke out and she was rescued by a stranger - a young, handsome, American doctor. I'm not going to spoil your fun of reading by revealing too much of the story. Petals from the Sky, like Yip's debut novel Peach Blossom Pavilion, is a poignant, compelling love story filled with wisdom, compassion, the beauty of life both inside and outside the Empty Gate and most importantly, the choice one has to make following the true calling of one's heart. A wonderful, totally satisfying read, highly recommanded!

Two things have particularly fascinated me: the mysterious East and the variety of lives of women. Mingmei Yip writes about both and is, for me at least, one of the best writers in English on these subjects. I loved Peach Blossom Pavilion, with its portrayal of the lives of courtesans in Shanghai that managed to be both honest and full of hope. Petals from the Sky is an inter-racial romance about a young Chinese woman who had wanted to be a nun, only to discover love with all its ectasies and complexities. I was fascinated by her Chinese dysfunctional family -- not too different from American dysfunctional families. I liked the action moving between Hong Kong, Paris and New York -- my three favorite cities. The story is so vivid I could imagine myself living some of the events. While reading Petals from the Sky, I found myself smiling often at Yip's unique sense of humor, her ability to appreciate her Chinese culture while laughing at some of its eccentricities. Several of her characters are quite unique, such as her garruous mother,her fiance's handsome best friend who tries to seduce her, or the nearly silent nun with the facial scar -- yet by the end one feels one actually knows them all. If you want to know more about women's lives -- or just have a good read -- Petals from the Sky is highly recommended!