Two Trees Make a Forest: On Memory, Migration and Taiwan

I read this for my book group and we are writing this unanimously. We felt that this book was a missed opportunity, there was a lot more that we wanted to know about her family and we wanted to know a lot less about the flora and fauna. The timelines weren't logical and the promise of a big reveal was never fulfilled. If you're really interested in the plants and geology of Taiwan then this is the book for you, but if you're after a story then...

Wonderful mix of science, nature, personal histories, Taiwanese culture, in a way that doesnt feel too forced or trying to come to a conclusion. Great to learn about Taiwan in this way.

My final book I finished for Canada Reads.This book is what I would call a slow read, in the way that its not a book that I can sit with and read for long periods of time. I found that with this one I had to consume it in smaller portions.The story itself is quite beautifully written, the author goes into great detail with her descriptions of the landscape, Chinese characters and their meaning, and how life was in the past in Taiwan. The book itself is well researched in terms of history and geography.As a contender for Canada Reads, it wasn't a very strong one as it was the first one eliminated. Not saying that this book doesn't have any merit, because it does, but for the Canada Reads competition I can see why another work was chosen over this one.

It arrived on time! What a carefully and gentle package! High recommend !

The author does a wonderful job connecting the social and natural history of Taiwan to her family's story. I learned a lot. A perfect read for dreaming of the outside world during quarantine.