I thoroughly enjoyed Peony by Pearl S. Buck, an oldie but goldie I recently picked up.
People might remember Buck from The Good Earth, in school. At least I think that is where I read that novel. Peony is about a Jewish family and a little Chinese bondmaid called Peony who looks after them. It describes her passion for the son of the Jewish household, in China, and how she must compromise to express it given her station in life. The story is quite unique and heartfelt. Buck dramatizes the struggle of a Jewish mother to keep her son orthodox in a melting pot situation. There is a clever bit at the end, concerning a set of tablets, that made me wonder if they were the inspiration for the story.
Paperback: 338 pages
Publisher: Bloch Publishing Company; Reprint edition (May 1997)
ISBN: 0819705934
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