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The Fifth Book of Peace

The Fifth Book of Peace

by Maxine Hong Kingston (Author)

  • Used

    Paperback 2004

    $8.88

  • Used

    Paperback 2004

    $7.25

  • New

    Paperback 2004

    $22.69
Synopsis

By the author of the bestselling The Woman Warrior, a magical book: a literature of peace built on the stories of war. Divided into four sections - 'Fire', 'Paper', 'Water' and 'Earth' - this book is neither fiction nor autobiography nor memoir, but a unique form of Chinese 'talk-story' in which real and imagined worlds intrude upon and enrich one another. From the anti-war protests in Hawaii to Kingston's own conversations with Vietnam veterans, the author takes us inside the hearts and minds of a host of characters, not least of whom is her own Mama, the veteran woman warrior Brave Orchid. This remarkable book is also the narrative of the seminal years in which Kingston rebuilds her life following a devastating fire, which destroyed all her possessions including her novel The Fourth Book of Peace, and the death of her father.

$8.88

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More Information

Format: Paperback
 Pages: 416
 Edition: New edition
 Publisher: Vintage
Published: 04 Nov 2004
ISBN 10: 0099466635
ISBN 13: 9780099466635
Book Overview: One of the great American chroniclers of her people and time' Independent

Media Reviews
A trenchant opus about surviving the fires of life. . .a wonderful, mulitlayered work. Marvelous. --San Francisco Chronicle Her prose . . . is masterly, at times nearly overwhelming in its descriptive power. . . . The world--and not just the world of literature--owes Maxine Hong Kingston a huge debt of gratitude. -- The Washington Post Book World Gorgeous. . . . [A] work of love and power-straight from Kingston's brilliant and passionate heart-and her vision of peace is undeniable. You have to see it, too. - Minneapolis Star-Tribune A moving testament to Kingston's determination and compassion, and a document of how one can survive pain, loss and the burden of history. -- San Jose Mercury News A strange, scarred thing, pieced together from fragments, smelling of smoke and anguish. Its power lies in its pain. -- The New York Times Book Review Rich in empathy and moral conviction. . . . Kingston is . . . an exuberant storyteller. -- The New Yorker Astonishing. . . . Part fiction and part autobiography, revery, prophecy, and how to manual. . . . Wherever we are in this fifth book . . . Kingston is a lotus, a flowering of divine intellect, and a bodhisattva, sticking around, one birth short of nirvana, to ease our suffering. -- Harper's Magazine A sharp, aching account. . . . [It] captivates . . . because of the splashy urgency of its writing. - Los Angeles Times Book Review Kaleidoscopic . . . Mesmerizing. . . . Employing language that is a lush and vibrant lure skimming the still lake of our collective experience as Americans who have attended far too many wars in far too few years, Kingston reels in the big questions .. . and displays them with both authority and care. The Fifth Book of Peace is a big book, chock full of real, not self, importance. -- The Baltimore Sun Powerful. . . . Kingston's elegant arc from the person to the global constitutes a profound act of humility and compassion. -- Pittsburg Post-Gazette I loved it-I couldn't stop reading it. Maxine Hong Kingston is one of our best writers. The Fifth Book of Peace has the generosity of spirit and the luminous prose we so urgently need in this time of war after war. --Leslie Marmon Silko A passionate plea that draws on U.S. history and Buddhist wisdom to argue for an all-inclusive and peaceful world. - People Magazine Moving. . . . A richly various extended meditation on peace. . . . The lesson embodied in The Fifth Book of Peace could not be more timely. -- Boston Globe An amazing testament to the existence of peace, even in the midst of war. The book is a communal effort, beautifully orchestrated by Hong Kingston and pieced together with open eyes. She doesn't romanticize, doesn't ignore the failures of past peace movements, but bravely searches for new possibilities. --Rocky Mountain News Beautifully rendered. . . . Intelligent and poetic. . . . Kingston gives readers entr?e into something powerful. --Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Dense, complex, urgent. . . . Kingston is interested here in the process of telling stories to come to a happy ending. -- Newsday Immediately striking about The Fifth Book of Peace is the uncanniness with which it nails the anxiety of this nation. . . . Kingston's stories and practices-and particularly her characters, both real andimagined-have a refreshing authenticity. -- The Oregonian Intense, often moving. . . . [Kingston] lays down layers of meaning, deftly weaving symbolism and imagery. -- The Miami Herald An arresting tour de force. . . . This is surely a better book than the one [Kingston] lost. -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram [An] uncompromising examination of the meanings of peace. . . . Secrets and truths that lesser writers would take to their graves, [Kingston] delivers with startling openness. . . . She has gathered a community of the lost, the disempowered, the people who never get to write alternative histories, and gifted them the fierce power of her voice. -- The San Diego Union-Tribune Her recounting of the fire is astonishing. She has a poet's eye for description. . . . Kingston has . . . create[d] something good out of painful memories. -- Austin American-Statesman Powerful. . . . Thoughtful and passionate. -- Entertainment Weekly Gripping. . . . [Filled] with bracing honesty. . . . Kingston has written a moving, urgent book that discounts facile notions of peace as a passive state. -- Charleston Post & Courier Satisfying. . . . Surreal, vivid detail. - Columbus Dispatch Brilliantly imaginative. . . . Fine writing and intriguing stories. . . . As always, Kingston is a superb stylist. -- The Sunday Star-Ledger
Author Bio
Maxine Hong Kingston is Senior Lecturer for Creative Writing at the University of California, Berkeley. Her memoirs and fiction have won numerous awards, including the National Book Award and an American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Literature Award. She also holds the rare title 'Living Treasure of Hawaii'.