When Ruth was growing up in San Francisco, her mother LuLing believed that Ruth could communicate with LuLing's dead nursemaid, Precious Auntie, who committed suicide when LuLing still lived in China. Ironically, Ruth now makes a living as a ghostwriter, but she calls herself a "book collaborator." When LuLing develops Alzheimer's, Ruth feels guilty about never reading the Chinese manuscript that LuLing wrote years ago about her childhood and life in wartime China. Ruth has it translated and learns the story of LuLing and Precious Auntie, who was the beautiful daughter of a bonesetter. Precious Auntie (and LuLing) believe their tragic lives are the result of a family curse that is linked to the discovery of the bones of Peking Man. Publishers Weekly calls The Bonesetter's Daughter "even more polished and provocative" than Amy Tan's most famous book, The Joy Luck Club. If you somehow didn't get around to reading The Bonesetter's Daughter when it was released in 2001, I definitely recommend it.
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