Watching The Tree: A Chinese Daughter Reflects on Happiness, Traditions, and Spiritual Wisdom

Adeline Yen Mah scored a big hit with her autobiography Falling Leaves. Now she follows up by filling in some of the details of Chinese thought and culture that have been important in her life. Commenting on the language, philosophies, customs, and food of China, Mah fleshes out the Chinese mind. Short essays are arranged around chapter themes and incorporate episodes from Mah's life as well as colorful sayings and historical information. She is at her best when speaking from personal experience and expertise, as in her piece on Chinese food and nutrition. But she can also come off as didactic, and she tends to wander aimlessly from topic to topic. The reader often feels that in order to justify the value of Chinese culture to herself and others she has tried to pack in every interesting thing she knows, or has read, about Chinese civilization, but without a guiding narrative. For these tidbits, the wading is often worth it, though much of her historical information can be found in the same books where she found them. One wishes she had the style of a Jonathan Spence or the humor of a Lin Yutang to make the reading about such a fascinating culture an uncommon pleasure. --Brian Bruya