readers from the east discussion

The controversy that arises from the discovery of the winning sculptor's identity proved a more interesting story than I thought when first reading the description. Mo, Claire, and the other characters wrestle with their personal ambitions and public perceptions of them. Mo wishes to claim his victory, but on his own terms, not as the face of a social cause. At first, Claire champions Mo's design, but discovers her support for him is less stalwart as she gets to know him. What I would've liked is if there was more attention to the impact of their personal lives. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. Did Mo regret separating from his lawyer, and did he ever think to contact her? By focusing his work outside the US, was he rejecting America for not accepting his submission? How did Claire cope with missing her husband? Did her life return to normal?

Some of my favorite scenes were when the characters had it out with each other, because I thought that the anger and feelings were very raw. What were some of your favorite scenes? What didn't you like?

I changed my rating to 2... I think I might have been a bit generous with my 3.

The concept of the story is interesting. At first, when I heard the book is about 9/11, I thought it might be about the stories behind the attack and the people involved. In a way, I suppose it is but is captured from another angle, 2 years after the attack. So why didn't I like it? I think it's because of the characters. I felt no empathy towards their pains, unlike with some of the other books we've read together, like "Cutting for Stone" or "Please look after mom". With those books, I grieved when they grieved; I cheered as they held on, but I couldn't find that with Mo nor with Claire. There is not much depth behind those characters. Most of their characterizations seem from the surface and not much from the deepest corners of their thoughts which are the primary areas of my interest in books.