Book Review: Saving Fish From Drowning

I was done reading it weeks ago but didn't have the time to write a review. Didn't even have time to start another book. Well, now I do. So here goes.

Amy Tan, the famous author who wrote the Joy Luck Club and the Kitchen God's Wife now has a new tale to tell. It's loosely based on a true story about San Francisco's deceased socialite Bibi Chen. Amy found some 'automatic writing' about Bibi which apparently was Bibi's ramblings after she died. Automatic writings are stories ghosts tell through a medium. Ramblings, musings, anything at all that a medium receives from the spirits.

Anyway, in this tale Amy narates through Bibi who as a spirit can hear and feel the inner thoughts and feelings of her group of friends on an expedition. Bibi was the organizer of this expedition through China and Myanmar but she mysteriously died before they took off. Her group of friends decided to go on with the trip without Bibi who was originally their leader, tour guide and docent.

Without Bibi, they stumble into a whole lot of difficulties and its their adventures that make up this book. Classic American tourists, they fumble through this expedition by being inept about local customs and traditions of Burma and China. Making a big mess in China they entered Myanmar and manage to entangle themselves with the troubles of a local tribe there, by getting kidnapped. The troubles are of course the clash between the military goverment of Myanmar and the local tribes who opposed them, named as rebels.

This book is simply full of humour and it is touching in some parts. At the end of the book, I can't help but wonder what would it be like to meet Bibi Chen. A colourful lady who is just unique in many ways. I would say Bibi Chen is reincarnated as readers really feel her come to life in this witty tale of Amy Tan.

PS: I googled for info to learn more about Bibi Chen and I found out that she doesn't exist. Hmmm... Amy duped us all. She wrote in her 'Note from the author' at the begining of the book telling about her inspiration for the story based on the real life of Bibi Chen. She even reproduced a news article from the San Fancisco Chronicles about the kinapped tourists. Well, that goes to show how well she can write. She really convinced us all that Bibi Chen was real.