Across a Green Ocean Paperback – January 27, 2015

It was a good book, but I could have done without it's graphic homosexual content. I saw no reason to include these scenes.

A beautifully written book that accomplishes what all good ones do—leave the reader wanting moreto come from the writer. ACROSS A GREEN OCEAN is a story about families that is both universal and highly specific to thecurrent Chinese-American community so well described. My book club has selected it for next month and I know the discussion will be lively.Much food for thought.

A well-written novel that examines the secrets family members keep from one another and the sacrifices we make when attempting to do the right thing.

I want to spend my precious reading time with a book that is either enlighting or entertaining. This was neither! I will give it two stars for writing.

Couldn't put this book down! I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Wendy Lee has woven life in China of the time and life today in the U.S. for a Chinese 2nd generation family. Can't wait for more from this author.

Stars 2.5 – RoundedI was excited to read this story, ostensibly about the immigrant experience as told through one family. Wendy Lee has used three narrative points of view: Ling, Michael and Emily, Chinese immigrants to the US with varying connections to both their current lives and their homeland.After a bit of “dissatisfaction’ with his life, Michael discovers a letter sent to his father, and decides to visit China to learn more about his heritage and his father. His sister Emily is an immigration lawyer, with few ties to the homeland, and his mother’s memories and questions about her ability to honor traditions from her native country, her work ethic and even her closed-mouth keeping of secrets and strange choices made years ago has left the three slightly estranged. Yet, the tension because of untold stories and the conflicts that have resulted from the ‘old ways’ clashing with the new is a recurrent theme, and I don’t believe that I ever felt it develop or resolve.While beautiful descriptions help to ground the scenes of China through Michael’s eyes: the frequent point of view flips and repeated switches from past to present in ever-increasing flashbacks seemed to hold the story hostage. There wasn’t a ton of forward motion for long passages, then we would circle the tension again before moving forward.This is not a quick or easy read: while the prose is often poetic, the flatness of the characters and the stalled motion of the plot make it a rather weighty tome: not for everyone.I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Across the Green Ocean by Wendy LeeThis book was a bit more than what I thought. Loved all the detailed explicit descriptions of the scenery abroad and stateside along with what the characters were doing.Starts out with the father dying and leaving a woman and her 2 kids, who are grown and don't live at home. Michael discovers letters written to the father and tracks down who he has to meet with in China to find out how they knew one another-as everything is forgiven the letter stated.Emily is the grown and married daughter who works a lot of overtime and her pay shows for it although her spouse spends time making food for hours on end to please her. He wants kids and she never does, still.Story goes back in time to how the parents met and their beliefs. Quite strong beliefs from the kids also come to the forefront and how they deal with them.Love the mystery in this book but didn't expect the homosexual scenes to be so pronounced.Liked what he discovers in China that helps him heal and helps him and others in the family move forward.I received this book from The Kennsington Books in exchange for my honest review

I found the book interesting, with all different values and the unhappy lives of most of the characters . It seemed all of them we're searching. For something and did not really. Find it. I have read many other books I enjoyed better.

I was looking forward when I got it, but some how its, taking me some time to try reading it.It is quite good, but I can't say I would read it again.