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challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is honestly a 10 out of 10 read.
I’m glad I didn’t shy away from this book just because of the page count.
You would think the author was a historian or history major with the amount of knowledge, information and history is jam packed in here. I did not know just how intertwined Chinese and Taiwanese history was and still is to this day. It’s from 1938 to 2005 from Meilin, her son Renshu (Henry) and his daughter Lily.
It’s a book about sacrifice, seeking asylum, wondering what is home, questioning your childhood, questioning your identity, finding your roots and belonging. I am not an immigrant or the child of one but this book does resonate with me in a sense with Lily and the feeling of not belonging in a group with your race and ethnicity.
You really see how each person responds to trauma, how they chose to accept the past, looking towards the future and what they see as home.
This story shows the sacrifices a mother at that time makes for her and her child, you get what she thinks she could’ve don differently to make things easier for her son. You read about the consequences of certain actions that were taken during a time where you had to do what you needed to do, especially since families were split and broken while fleeing and seeking asylum.
You read about PTSD showing VERY strong in Renshu (Henry) and how that affected him, his relationship and his family. How being told to be wary about getting involved with politics because you never know who could be watching and listening. How FRAGILE the American dream can be and how that can be easily taken away with the wrong move.
You stayed quiet, do the job you were meant to do and stay with that job for security.
This book was phenomenal, fantastic, Informative, emotional and reflective.
This is the perfect example to me of what a Historical Fiction book is and should be. This is what I look for, I want a story with real world experiences and events that really happened.
———————— SPOILER ———————
I was really hopeful that Lilly would find the handscroll that Meilin sadly had to sell for coins for travel.
I’m glad it was mentioned that Meilin would always go to any new museum that popped up to see if she’d find her late husband’s precious treasure. Her last connection to their home when it was her, her husband and their son. But to me it signifies that the scroll is just like anything else during that time; goods, documents, memories and stories; lost in the past during a period of war. *sigh*
I’m glad I didn’t shy away from this book just because of the page count.
You would think the author was a historian or history major with the amount of knowledge, information and history is jam packed in here. I did not know just how intertwined Chinese and Taiwanese history was and still is to this day. It’s from 1938 to 2005 from Meilin, her son Renshu (Henry) and his daughter Lily.
It’s a book about sacrifice, seeking asylum, wondering what is home, questioning your childhood, questioning your identity, finding your roots and belonging. I am not an immigrant or the child of one but this book does resonate with me in a sense with Lily and the feeling of not belonging in a group with your race and ethnicity.
You really see how each person responds to trauma, how they chose to accept the past, looking towards the future and what they see as home.
This story shows the sacrifices a mother at that time makes for her and her child, you get what she thinks she could’ve don differently to make things easier for her son. You read about the consequences of certain actions that were taken during a time where you had to do what you needed to do, especially since families were split and broken while fleeing and seeking asylum.
You read about PTSD showing VERY strong in Renshu (Henry) and how that affected him, his relationship and his family. How being told to be wary about getting involved with politics because you never know who could be watching and listening. How FRAGILE the American dream can be and how that can be easily taken away with the wrong move.
You stayed quiet, do the job you were meant to do and stay with that job for security.
This book was phenomenal, fantastic, Informative, emotional and reflective.
This is the perfect example to me of what a Historical Fiction book is and should be. This is what I look for, I want a story with real world experiences and events that really happened.
———————— SPOILER ———————
I was really hopeful that Lilly would find the handscroll that Meilin sadly had to sell for coins for travel.
I’m glad it was mentioned that Meilin would always go to any new museum that popped up to see if she’d find her late husband’s precious treasure. Her last connection to their home when it was her, her husband and their son. But to me it signifies that the scroll is just like anything else during that time; goods, documents, memories and stories; lost in the past during a period of war. *sigh*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Deportation
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When Meilin loses her husband in the war and her home is destroyed, she packs all the essentials, including a cherished scroll from her beloved husband, in a basket and runs to the station with her son, Renshu, on her brother-in-law's orders to escape death.
From walking on foot to carrying Renshu in carts and selling her precious jewellery to afford food and to the final journey to Taiwan, Meilin and Renshu travel long distances to escape war and bloodshed. However, on this long and arduous journey, they can’t escape time, as Renshu grows up despite it all, and heartbreak, as they lose friends and loved ones along the way.
My heart was 100 per cent into this generational saga until Renshu had to bid goodbye to his mother and travel across oceans to study further. For me, Meilin was the strong foundation of this book, and when she appeared less and less, I disconnected from the narrative.
But the story picks up again when Renshu's (now Henry) daughter, Lily, tries to navigate the mixed emotions accompanying being biracial. While the time jump made Lily's narrative slightly rushed, Fu beautifully tied it all together, making my eyes water. Not to mention, she is a fabulous writer, making prose feel like poetry.
I reckon I had too many expectations from the book, which led to my lukewarm response to this historical saga. Regardless, I’d urge you to read this book to get some background on the impact of the war and post-war uprisings in China.
From walking on foot to carrying Renshu in carts and selling her precious jewellery to afford food and to the final journey to Taiwan, Meilin and Renshu travel long distances to escape war and bloodshed. However, on this long and arduous journey, they can’t escape time, as Renshu grows up despite it all, and heartbreak, as they lose friends and loved ones along the way.
My heart was 100 per cent into this generational saga until Renshu had to bid goodbye to his mother and travel across oceans to study further. For me, Meilin was the strong foundation of this book, and when she appeared less and less, I disconnected from the narrative.
But the story picks up again when Renshu's (now Henry) daughter, Lily, tries to navigate the mixed emotions accompanying being biracial. While the time jump made Lily's narrative slightly rushed, Fu beautifully tied it all together, making my eyes water. Not to mention, she is a fabulous writer, making prose feel like poetry.
I reckon I had too many expectations from the book, which led to my lukewarm response to this historical saga. Regardless, I’d urge you to read this book to get some background on the impact of the war and post-war uprisings in China.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Rape, Violence
Minor: Xenophobia
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I appreciated the multigenerational approach that this book took, with each generation dealing with a unique set of problems. I think reading from the perspective of a family over a couple of decades and through different members of the lineage highlights how inter-generational trauma can be transmitted, especially for those in the diaspora.
Although parts one and two contained the darkest and most violent chapters of the book, there were also many instances of Meilin’s hopefulness and promises for the future. One of the most heartbreaking realizations for me as the book progressed was that the goals that Meilin had set or promises she made to Xiaowen and Renshu had to be sacrificed or negotiated in order for them to survive.
Lastly, although this is fiction, I think PBS provided some good insight to the migration trajectories of people in China during WW2 and the Civil War and also of Taiwanese people during the Cold War.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. For the most part, there weren’t many moments where the story was dragging or moved too slowly.
Lastly, although this is fiction, I think PBS provided some good insight to the migration trajectories of people in China during WW2 and the Civil War and also of Taiwanese people during the Cold War.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. For the most part, there weren’t many moments where the story was dragging or moved too slowly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape
Moderate: Violence, War
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Child death, Death, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the sort of book that I would not normally choose, but our book club had picked it, so I read it. It is a family drama, running over the best part of a century, not really my thing. That shows how useful book clubs are, without them, I would have missed a treat. The reader is swept along by the tide of history, seen from the perspective of one family. As the book progresses, we pass from the mother to the son to his daughter. Several key themes are dealt with, including trauma (and how childhood trauma can affect later life) and migrating between cultures. These are discussed effectively, raising interesting thoughts and questions.
It is a real page-turner, I was keen to know what happened next. To some extent, the plot was quite predictable though, given that it was driven by historical events, so that in global terms the reader often knows what will be coming next.
The book is written in a straightforward style, which makes it very readable. There are a few odd features, such as the consistent use of 'quieten' instead of 'quiet'. I suppose they were meant to sound Chinese, but I'm not sure whether that worked. It was over-sentimental in places for my taste, but perhaps that is unavoidable given the subject matter.
China has been giving out signals that it wants Taiwan 'back'. This book is also a useful reminder of the history behind that claim.
It is a real page-turner, I was keen to know what happened next. To some extent, the plot was quite predictable though, given that it was driven by historical events, so that in global terms the reader often knows what will be coming next.
The book is written in a straightforward style, which makes it very readable. There are a few odd features, such as the consistent use of 'quieten' instead of 'quiet'. I suppose they were meant to sound Chinese, but I'm not sure whether that worked. It was over-sentimental in places for my taste, but perhaps that is unavoidable given the subject matter.
China has been giving out signals that it wants Taiwan 'back'. This book is also a useful reminder of the history behind that claim.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Violence, War
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Dementia, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
Moderate: Death, Violence, War
Minor: Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, War
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a terrific multi-generation historical fiction book. The history of the Chinese-Japanese War and the Civil War that followed it was new to me. And I think this might be the first book I've read with a setting in Taiwan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism