Petals From the Sky [Paperback]

Mingmei Yip (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 2010

When twenty-year-old Meng Ning declares that she wants to be a Buddhist nun, her mother is aghast. In her eyes, a nun's life means only deprivation - 'no freedom, no love, no meat'. But to Meng Ning, it means the chance to control her own destiny, and to live in an oasis of music, art, and poetry far from her parents' unhappy union. 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Meng Ning fell into a well as a child and was rescued by Yi Kong, a wandering nun. Now in her thirties, Meng Ning is determined to emulate her rescuer and become a Buddhist nun herself. Warned off men by her mother after Meng Ning’s poet and dreamer of a father left them penniless, and devoted to the serene Yi Kong, she joins a retreat for new nuns and monks. It is quickly cut short by a disastrous fire, and Meng Ning is rescued once again, this time by the charming and intense American Michael Fuller. Michael intrigues Meng Ning, and soon she’s flying to New York to be by his side. But exposure to a whole new culture raises issues that cannot be ignored, and soon Meng Ning returns to Hong Kong to decide if becoming a nun is truly her destiny, or if, despite the warnings, Michael is her fate. Yip’s second novel is a serious, engaging story of faith, devotion, and the commingling of cultures. --Hilary Hatton

Product Details

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: Kensington Books; 1 edition (February 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075824181X
• ISBN-13: 978-0758241818
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Didn't live up to its potential, March 1, 2010

By 

Live2Cruise "Live2Cruise" (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Petals From the Sky (Paperback)

I had high hopes for this novel, and am sad to say that it just didn't live up to my expectations. The premise of the novel is that Meng Ning, the protagonist, has decided to enter a Buddhist monastery as a nun. This means forsaking worldly pleasures including, to her mother's horror, love and marriage. Meng Ning is steadfast in her decision, however, until she meets a handsome American doctor, Michael, at a retreat. Thrown together by intense circumstances, they fall in love. Meng Ning must choose between the life she had decided upon, and the unexpected love she has found.

A simple enough theme and one that sounds like a good story. Somewhere after Meng Ning and Michael meet, however, it all falls apart. The dialogue becomes almost painfully stilted, as though the characters are ridiculous caricatures. Meng Ning, a fairly conservative and shy character, suddenly engages in behavior so out of character that one wonders if the real Meng Ning was abducted by aliens and replaced by someone else. And instead of a romantic hero, Michael morphs into someone spineless and clingy. In the end I just didn't know who to care about or root for, as each of the characters was just so unbelievable. None of them ever felt real, they were more like actors in a very bad soap opera.

I gave it two stars, instead of one, because the descriptions of the Buddhist monastery and Chinese culture were engaging and interesting. But this was, unfortunately, the only saving grace in this novel. It has potential, but the bad dialogue and flat characters are its undoing.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a beautiful and unique novel!!!, March 6, 2010

By 

Mich, Chardon, Ohio - See all my reviews

This review is from: Petals From the Sky (Paperback)

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!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars intriguing look at Buddhism, February 27, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Petals From the Sky (Paperback)

Thirteen year old Meng Ning fell into a well. She survived her ordeal, but also had a revelation that she was fated to be a Buddhist nun. Now an adult Meng has not yet taken her vows as her mentor encourages her to take some time and study abroad, which she does in Paris while her mother is horrified with her daughter's decision.

At the Summer Buddhist Retreat, a fire places Meng in jeopardy until American Dr. Michael Fuller, who rescued her when her black-market monetary exchange proved counterfeit, carries her to safety. They become friends and companions. However, that ends when he proposes and she refuses as her dream is to be a nun not a wife. Although she changes her mind and accepts, she still wonders if she is making a mistake until a car accident opens her eyes.

This is an intriguing look at Buddhism in mostly Paris and Hong Kong; so there is a western flavoring. The story line is profound as Meng must choose between spiritual and mortal loves; while coping with pressure from others trying to influence her selection. Although Michael seems more like a stereotype of a westerner involved with an Asian woman whose belief system differs from his, fans will enjoy Petals From the Sky as Meng must determine the path her devotion leads her to.

Harriet Klausner