The Piano Teacher (by Janice Lee)

This book was featured for the ChickAdvisor Book Club recently. The story switches between late WWII and the early 1950s in Hong Kong, a tale of secrets, betrayal, survival, and the loss of innocence.

The title suggests that the piano teacher, Claire, is the main character. She is more of a metaphor of change, how pliable we could become in certain situations. She begins an affair with an emotionally distant man, unaware of how his past will affect her future.

The book is rich with details of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during the war, a hodgepodge city filled with many different nationalities and customs - and how each responded to the situation. The characters are well-developed and the story is engrossing. It asks the question: "what would you do if ___?"

This is Janice Lee's first novel. For a debut I'm quite impressed; but she does get a little bogged down trying to weave her intricate plot together. This is a great book for discussion and multiple read-throughs to sort out all the nuances. If you're looking for a fun, snappy read, this is not the book for you.

I heard it compared with Memoirs of a Geisha. Not an unfair comparison, but Geisha does read a little easier.