Book Club Blog #2: chapters 9-16

1) Summary

• Ch. 9: 
• Olivia and Simon fight about never talking
• they make up and talk 
• Olivia finds Simon's novel about Elza
• they fought again and want a divorce and he moves out
• Oliva attends Kwan's 50th birthday party alone and sad
• Ch.10:
• Kwan tells Olivia that she had a pass life
• in her pass life she loved someone before Simon
• Kwan talks about General Cape
• Ch.11:
• Olivia tells Kwan her and Simon are getting divorced and she wants them to stay friends
• Kwan asks Olivia to go to China
• Oliva invites Kwan out to lunch
• They talk about changing their last names
• Ch.12:
• Oliva, Kwan, and Simon fly to China
• Kwan talks about visiting her mom's grave
• Kwan talks about the town of Changmian
• Ch.13:
• They are in China
• sees a cage of birds
• walks into town and gets breakfast
• first time Olivia has seen Kwan's resentment towards someone thats treated her wrong 
• Ch.14:
• gets in a taxi with a driver named Rocky
• Rocky talks about moving to America and working
• they pass a bus accident
• they get to Changmian
• Olivia recognizes it from Kwan stories
• Kwan sees Big Ma's Yin and says she died from the bus accident
• Ch.15:
• Kwan claims to have known George in her pat life as Zeng
• Kwan tells a story from her past life
• Ch.16:
• Olivia has to take pictures of Big Ma even though she's dead
• Olivia meets a women names Du Lilly
• Du Lilly looks really old (70) but Kwan explains that she thinks she's her daughter
• Olivia takes a picture of her and she gets mad because she looks old

2) Quotes & Reactions/ Responses
-"Im sick of hanging in as Elza's lousy replacement"(143).
I think Olivia's whole marriage has been surrounded by Elza and Simon's love for her. Olivia's last straw was finding the novel he write about her.
-"Can you fucking believe this? he whispers, and squeezes my hand"(229).
I think when Simon said this it reminded Olivia of all the happy and positive memories they had shared and misses his excitement when he's with her.
-"Your American's... you're not used to seeing tragedies"(227).
Rocky says this after Olivia sees the bus accident and wants to stop and help. He tells her their nothing to do to help them and kept driving. When I read this I found it really harsh and sad that this was no big deal to him and normal in China to happen without anyone helping.
3) Questions for Discussion
-Will Olivia and Simon get back together?
-Will Olivia connect to China and her Yin eyes more?
4) Reflection
Im still really engaged and want to find out what's going to happen at the end and how everything connects. Im excited to see how Kwan's story relates to Olivia and how their China trip will reveal.