A very appealing memoir. Anchee Min is a blazing talent. I loved 'Red Azalea' as well as her novels about Tzu-Hsi, aka Empress Orchid. This book, on Min's American adventure, is also highly engrossing, lyrical and moving.

After reading Min’s Red Azalea I was glad to see she’s written a biography of her life. Cooked Seed is an apt title for this story, as that was how she viewed herself and her life in Mao’s China. Like a cooked seed she was unable to sprout. Determination despite her inability to speak English got her a student’s visa to the US. Determination was what she needed as she learned to navigate through Chicago and eventually California. As an American reading the book, I wanted to say “Don’t do that!” as she bounced from one challenge to another. But the adeptness of Min’s writing shows the challenges immigrants have to face. I would have given up long before Min found love and success in her writing. Her experiences show what many of us take for granted is a luxury to people in other parts of the world.