For this month, I've read 'Petals From the Sky' by Mingmei Yip. In this novel, Yip spins a tale about a Hong Kong woman, Meng Ning, who received her PhD. at the age of 30, tries to escapes her dysfunctional, never-do-well family to become a Buddhist nun. Unfortunately, she was then to realize that she had run away from her own heart. The book is filled with flabbergasted scenes and confusion and I, as a decent reader, was also enthralled with the wonders of fear, faith and love.
An interesting event of the book would be the part where Meng Ning found her companion; her love; her soul mate, in such a tragic yet treacherous state - at the fire. With an enigmatic nun known as Yi Kong, "Depending on Emptiness," as her mentor, Meng Ning spends the next ten years studying abroad, disdaining men, and preparing to enter the nunnery. Then, a fire breaks out at her Buddhist retreat, and Meng Ning is carried to safety by Michael Fuller, a young American doctor. The unprecedented physical contact stirs her curiosity. And as their tentative friendship grows intimate, Meng Ning realizes she must choose between the sensual and the spiritual life. There, I sense the love evaporating into the air; having me taking in the gratitude for Meng Ning and her decision.
Sau Jean Ying
29 March 2014
4Cergas
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