(2001) The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan Read Free Book Online Page A

Soul.
    The Yin and Yang of Being Single. The Yin and Yang of Being Married. The Yin and Yang of Being Divorced.
    The most popular books were Defeat Depression with Dogs, Procrastinate to Your Advantage, and To Hell with Guilt. The last book had become a controversial bestseller. It had even been translated into German and Hebrew.
    In the coauthoring trade, “Ruth Young” was the small-type name that followed “with,” that is, if it appeared at all. After fifteen years, she had nearly thirty-five books to her credit. Most of her early work had come from corporate communications clients. Her expertise had woven its way into communication in general, then communication problems, behavioral patterns, emotional problems, mind-body connections, and spiritual awakening. She had been in the business long enough to see the terms evolve from “chakras” to “ch’i,” “prana,” “vital energy,” “life force,” “biomagnetic force,” “bioenergy fields,” and finally back to “chakras.” In bookstores, most of her clients’ words of wisdom were placed in the light or popular sections—Self-Help, Wellness, Inspirational, New Age. She wished she were working on books that would be categorized as Philosophy, Science, Medicine.
    By and large, the books she helped write were interesting, she often reminded herself, and if not, it was her job to make them interesting. And though she might pooh-pooh her own work just to be modest, it irked her when others did not take her seriously. Even Art did not seem to recognize how difficult her job was. But that was partly her fault. She preferred to make it look easy. She would rather that others discern for themselves what an incredible job she did in spinning gold out of dross. They never did, of course. They didn’t know how hard it was to be diplomatic, to excavate lively prose from incoherent musings. She had to assure clients that her straightforward recasting of their words still made them sound articulate, intelligent, and important. She had to be sensitive to the fact the authors saw their books as symbolic forms of immortality, believing that their words on the printed page would last far longer than their physical bodies. And when the books were published, Ruth had to sit back quietly at parties while the clients took the credit for being brilliant. She often claimed she did not need to be acknowledged to feel satisfied, but that was not exactly true. She wanted some recognition, and not like the kind she had received two weeks before, at the party for her mother’s seventy-seventh birthday.
    Auntie Gal and Uncle Edmund had brought along a friend from Portland, an older woman with thick glasses, who asked Ruth what she did for a living. “I’m a book collaborator,” she answered.
    “Why you say that?” LuLing scolded. “Sound bad, like you traitor and spy.”
    Auntie Gal then said with great authority, “She’s a ghostwriter, one of the best there is. You know those books that say ‘as told to’ on the cover? That’s what Ruth does—people tell her stories and she writes them down, word for word, exactly as told.” Ruth had no time to correct her.
    “Like court stenographers,” the woman said. “I hear they have to be very fast and accurate. Did you go through special training?”
    Before Ruth could answer, Auntie Gal chirped: “Ruthie, you should tell my story! Very exciting, plus all true. But I don’t know if you can keep up. I’m a pretty fast talker!”
    Now LuLing jumped in: “Not just type, lots work!” And Ruth was grateful for this unexpected defense, until her mother added, “She correct spelling too!”
    Ruth looked up from her notes on her phone conference with the Internet Spirituality author and reminded herself of all the ways she was lucky. She worked at home, was paid decent money, and at least the publishers appreciated her, as did the publicists, who called her for talking points when booking radio interviews for the authors.