I was drawn to this book because I knew nothing of the culture of rural China, nor had I heard of a Funeral Cryer.

From the beginning as I read The Funeral Cryer it seemed as if I had picked-up the diary of a woman journaling her thoughts as therapy instead of speaking up for herself. This book delved into the cryer’s thoughts about every aspect of her life including her relationship with her husband, family and acquaintances in her village.

While I didn’t consider this a voracious read, I consciously found myself thinking about the Cryer, wondering what the plot was, and when the plot would reveal itself. So, I continued reading while wondering when the Cryer, or if the Cryer, would reach a breaking point and standup for herself in her relationships.

The cultures of rural China, especially as they relate to women, are revealed. The hardships of trying to better yourself and your family while living in a rural community under a communist regime are brought to the surface.

Yes I can say that reading this book was worth it, that all readers could learn something from this read and be encouraged to look into their relationships on all levels to see if they can improve their life by open discussion rather than keeping silent.

Glimpsing the everyday life experiences of Frances Perkins in the early 1900's showed me how living in a time before the views of women and workers were taken seriously instilled desires in Ms. Perkins to advocate for the rights of workers and women.

The rights and privileges we have as women, and as workers in general were not handed to us on a silver platter. Someone had to be courageous enough to take the time to care and do the dirty fighting necessary to bring the problems to the forefront of government. Working with others to envision solutions for labor and economic woes in the midst of criticism was not easy, especially when Frances had her own problems.

This was her life and the sacrifices she, and others like her, were driven to make that helped our world become a better place to live and work.

I enjoyed reading this book because I could relate to Ginny's being completely blindsided by her husband. This book is a good tool for opening the eyes of people with a heartache to paths that can lead to healing and improving their life by sharing their pain with others. It was a feel good read that I'll recommend to friends. The ending was surprising and left me wanting to know more about Ginny's future.

Both my husband and I loved this murder mystery. It is well written and takes you into mazes of thoughts to discover who the murderer might be. Loved the descriptions of Spain, people and food.