Customer Reviews

Petals From the Sky

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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!

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

Petals in the Sky is a story about a woman discovering love for the first time and forced to choose between her decade-long goal of becoming a nun and married life in the US. I downloaded the Kindle version of this book because it seemed like an interesting story and, well, it was free. I did find the plot to be engaging and I was so wrapped up in the story that I finished the book in three days. However, I agree with several other reviewers that the subplot that takes place in New York is bizarre and doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the story. I was also disappointed by some glaring mistakes in the book. For example, Meng Ning, the main character, explains that her mother was born in the year of the cat - but the cat is NOT one of the Chinese zodiac animals! I was surprised that the author, being Chinese, would make such a mistake. Also, at one point Meng Ning meets an American woman named Lisa who asks her if Michael is her fiance. The next day, Meng Ning and Lisa are together at a bar and Lisa asks Meng Ning if Michael is her boyfriend - which, of course, makes no sense because she had already found out Meng Ning and Michael's status from the previous day. I was surprised, and disappointed, that neither the author nor the editor caught this error. Overall, I think Petals in the Sky is entertaining, but could have been better.

I can't believe other reviewers thought Petals from the Sky didn't live up to its potential. It's one of the most entertaining novels I've read all summer.

The story centers around a young Cantonese woman who becomes torn between a quiet life as a Buddhist nun or the wife of a gweilo doctor from New York. It's true that I was a little worried the Buddhist elements would be a bit heavy for these sultry summer days.

But soon after I started the book, I realized Mingmei Yip dished up exactly what I was looking for: a fun, laugh-out-loud, thrilling novel. Her writing is flowery and poetic and rich with humor. And in the end, I loved the Buddhist part of the story the best.

My favorite character was the protagonist's mother: a glass-is-half-empty matron who has a history of coming up on the losing end of love. She fears the same for her daughter, yet warns her against joining the order of nuns she has set her heart on ever since a childhood accident. Meng Ning, the protagonist, is down to earth, intelligent (Sorbonne PhD), sophisticated, yet innocent. I wasn't too keen on her boyfriend Michael, though I've met more than my share of men like him. He seemed needy and possessive, but Meng Ning doesn't seem to take offense. After all, Michael was orphaned at a young age and Meng Ning understood how it felt to lose a parent.

Petals from the Sky is a fun read and one that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys cross-cultural romantic stories, learning about Buddhism (but not in a dry or academic way), and a plot that causes you to think about what's important in our short lives.

This book is based on the interesting premise of the choice between becoming a Buddhist nun or choosing a secular life. The plot is quickly complicated by the introduction of a rather extraordinary tender man (Michael) in the life of the heroine, Meng Ning. However, quickly thereafter the book starts to disappoint. The exposition of Meng Ning's choices and feelings is rather shallow, and at times repetitious. Also, Michael turns out to be quite wounded and emotionally needy. The emotional implications for Meng Ning are not really addressed. Additionally, as other reviewers have pointed out, her behavior during a visit to NYC seems out of character, especially for a woman who had lived by herself in Paris for 5 years. Also, her behavior is not addressed in her actual relationship with Michael.
The portrayal of Ming Meng's family and the Buddhist scene in Hong Kong and China are interesting. The character of "the Scarred Nun" is particularly interesting, and stands out in the book, as particularly well crafted.

This was a fascinating book with much good insight into the world of modern Buddhism as well as a touching love story. I have traveled to Hong Kong many times and could relate to the parts of the book that took place in temples there, so much so that I want to go back and find those temples described in the book. I loved learning about life in the Buddhist nunnery and the lives of the nuns.

Two things have particularly fascinated me: the mysterious East and the variety of lives of women. Mingmei Yip writes about both and is, for me at least, one of the best writers in English on these subjects. I loved Peach Blossom Pavilion, with its portrayal of the lives of courtesans in Shanghai that managed to be both honest and full of hope. Petals from the Sky is an inter-racial romance about a young Chinese woman who had wanted to be a nun, only to discover love with all its ectasies and complexities. I was fascinated by her Chinese dysfunctional family -- not too different from American dysfunctional families. I liked the action moving between Hong Kong, Paris and New York -- my three favorite cities. The story is so vivid I could imagine myself living some of the events.

While reading Petals from the Sky, I found myself smiling often at Yip's unique sense of humor, her ability to appreciate her Chinese culture while laughing at some of its eccentricities. Several of her characters are quite unique, such as her garruous mother,her fiance's handsome best friend who tries to seduce her, or the nearly silent nun with the facial scar -- yet by the end one feels one actually knows them all.

If you want to know more about women's lives -- or just have a good read -- Petals from the Sky is highly recommended!

Mingmei Yip's exquisitely portrayed characters and exotic locales in PETALS FROM THE SKY will draw you intimately into the life of 20-year-old Meng Ning, an aspiring Buddhist nun whose life takes unexpected turns. From the mystique of the temples to the streets of New York, this fast-paced novel sweeps across continents and cultures as the protagonist's desire to become a nun begins to fade. The daughter of a troubled marriage, she has vowed to allow no man in her life. At thirty, highly educated, with a Ph. D earned in Paris, she advances toward her original goal to become a nun, guided by her long-time model, nun Yi Kong--Depending on Emptiness. But at a retreat in Fragrant Spirit Temple, she is rescued from a fire by an American doctor and lay Buddhist, Michael Fuller and soon, she is caught between old convictions and new desires. Working through the conflict is no easy love-wins-out scenario, or its opposite. It is difficult, sometimes painful, sometimes illogical as real life can be, but fascinating. Don't miss the final, satisfying resolution!

Novelist Mingmei Yip opens a window of examination to the culture and traditions of Eastern religion in her book Petals From the Sky: Between Devotion and Surrender lies a World of Discovery. Main character Meng Ning at the age of thirteen years old confronts her supposed destiny to becoming a Buddhist nun, but as one reads the first few passages of the book, she is not alone in determining what exact path she must take. It is the people, her family and friends, especially her mother, boyfriend Michael Fuller, nuns Yi Kong and Wong Dai Nam, and others she meets during her journey that helps her to deeply question what she really wants out of life. With the fortunate experiences outside of her traditional Chinese culture and customs that take her away from her country to other parts of the world, Europe and the United States, this plays an essential part in her attempting to understand and determining what decision she will eventually make by the end of the novel.

There are several interesting aspects about Petals From the Sky that may draw readers to the storyline that shows that the bridge of understanding between Eastern and Western traditions continues to be told through the art of fiction. Mingmei provides the cultural backdrop but adds more dimension to that element as it relates to ethnic and gender boundaries within the Asian experience that deal with sexuality that have often been taboo or somewhat reserved within conversations or have been quaintly narrated in Chinese classic literature, The Dream of the Red Chamber, that Meng Ning refers to throughout her ordeal; she does a good job presenting those issue within the story, especially with specific chapters that involve Meng Ning's relationships with her mother, Yi Kong, and Michael's former fiancé Lisa. Meng Ning discovers that the path towards the nunnery is more than living a carefree life filled with poetry and mysticism where she has challenges that must be confronted before she could fully commit her life to that particular lifestyle that her mother had wisely suggested and warned her about.

Petals From the Sky is a thought-provoking story that is filled with unpredictable moments that may have readers wanting to read the next page. However, it is one of those stories that may appear to be slow in the beginning but gradually builds by the middle and concluding chapters because of the suggestive themes and issues that are not specifically mentioned but are presented within the characters' dialogues. Indeed, one must read carefully in order to find out what is happening between each character, but otherwise, this is an informative novel.