I have to say that I'm really not enjoying reading this book. The only story that i enjoyed was the white tigers, but even that was a little dragged out. The Shaman has an interesting topic, but I just dont like the way kingston writes it. I actually think she drags things out more than Kincaid. There are a few things that I find interesting and a few questions that come up while reading the Shaman. For one I noticed that every story she tells is a story that her mother has told her as a child. Like we discussed in class I think she does elaborate on each story though. She is also always comparing her mother's chinese life to her modern american life. I'm not sure what it means but on page 59 when kingston compares her older age mother to the little girl she was in the picture she says that the girl in the picture looks happy, and that her mother now doesnt smile, isnt soft and is completely opposite of what she is now. It makes me wonder, something must have happened for her to change..the ghosts maybe? I might be a little harsh on Kingston, but I think her stories are more interesting to her than they are to others. Its like the stories my mother tells me about her childhood are more interesting to me than if i would write them down and tell them to others.