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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
Really enjoyed. Great prose, great story, great history. Learned so much more than from Where Waters Meet, though it covered similar ground.
Shocked at the Nationalist tactics in WW2 (War of Aggression), that I never knew. Utter disregard for civilians.
Also, had no idea of the KGB-esque BS pulled to crack down on PRC or pro-democracy leanings.
Quieten, wtf.
Shocked at the Nationalist tactics in WW2 (War of Aggression), that I never knew. Utter disregard for civilians.
Also, had no idea of the KGB-esque BS pulled to crack down on PRC or pro-democracy leanings.
Quieten, wtf.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A beautifully written story of three generations, a story of love and tragedy, loss and self discovery , and finding happiness in a tumultuous world.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
Peach Blossom Spring was my Febuary 2022 Book of the Month pick! I grabbed it because this book explores modern Chinese history and immigration experiences, and most of my books that involve China are fantasy. I figured Febuary, with Lunar New Year, was the perfect time to pick up a book on modern Chinese history
In 1938 a young Meilin has a bright future. But with the approaching Japanese army, her and her son Renshu's future is thrown into dissaray. Relying on Meilins wits are resilience, they seek refuge. Years later Renshu is in America known as Henry. He is quiet about his youth and experience living in China and Taiwan, and his daughter Lily struggle with being mixed race, and being disconnected from her Chinese heritage.
I closed the pages on this book and just cried. Peach Blossom Spring was an astounding story that shows the resilience of people. Meilin is willing to do almost anything to be able to provide for her son. Renshu/Henry experience not only the trauma of a war, but also disconnects himself from his heritage to protect his family. Lily faces the disconnect from her past, and from her family.
This book showcased generational trauma, and the affect it has on each person. Renshu/Henry's struggle was so hard to read about, because the reader watched him grow from a small boy to an old man. We see the development of his behaviors, and his trauma response behaviors.
Peach Blossom Spring brings loss, and love, to the pages. In just the few pages we are able to experience several lifetimes
I thought this book was just so well done. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
In 1938 a young Meilin has a bright future. But with the approaching Japanese army, her and her son Renshu's future is thrown into dissaray. Relying on Meilins wits are resilience, they seek refuge. Years later Renshu is in America known as Henry. He is quiet about his youth and experience living in China and Taiwan, and his daughter Lily struggle with being mixed race, and being disconnected from her Chinese heritage.
I closed the pages on this book and just cried. Peach Blossom Spring was an astounding story that shows the resilience of people. Meilin is willing to do almost anything to be able to provide for her son. Renshu/Henry experience not only the trauma of a war, but also disconnects himself from his heritage to protect his family. Lily faces the disconnect from her past, and from her family.
This book showcased generational trauma, and the affect it has on each person. Renshu/Henry's struggle was so hard to read about, because the reader watched him grow from a small boy to an old man. We see the development of his behaviors, and his trauma response behaviors.
Peach Blossom Spring brings loss, and love, to the pages. In just the few pages we are able to experience several lifetimes
I thought this book was just so well done. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
Interesting (and sad) perspective from other side of WWII.
I liked this book, but I did not love it. I never fully felt invested in the characters and it felt like I was being told a story by a narrator the entire time. I don’t think it was poorly written, but it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy the writing style at all. This was a book club book for us and honestly, I probably would have DNF if it wasn’t.
My thanks goes to @netgalley for sending me this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
After seeing some glowing reviews from bookstas I hold in high esteem I couldn't help but request this wonderful book.
Totally out of my comfort zone, I was so scared that I wouldn't like it, but boy was I wrong!
This is an epic story that takes us through the decades from WWII in China to the present day in the US as we follow Meilin and her 4 year old son Renshu as they flee the bombing of their hometown Changsha finding refuge in Shanghai - and later, still struggling to survive, set sail for Tawain in search of peace and freedom.
Meilin was simply wonderful with her gentle soul and yet so resilient and brave. And Renshu, who manages to escape the shackles of communism by emigrating to the United States, never being able to shake off the fear installed in him!
Rather than reading this book, I savoured it like a good old wine, sip after sip every morning on my way to the office. An appointment I relished each day. I won’t deny that I teared up several times and had to squint to see the traffic!
I loved learning about Chinese culture and hearing about WWII from a different perspective. It was a real eye-opener!
The prose was exquisite and the little pearls of wisdom hidden in the stories Meilin told Renshu as a boy, will stay with me for a long time!
I’m afraid I won’t be able to look at a peach orchard without feeling a little sentimental now.
A special thanks to the narrator Eugenia Low for making this journey so special!
After seeing some glowing reviews from bookstas I hold in high esteem I couldn't help but request this wonderful book.
Totally out of my comfort zone, I was so scared that I wouldn't like it, but boy was I wrong!
This is an epic story that takes us through the decades from WWII in China to the present day in the US as we follow Meilin and her 4 year old son Renshu as they flee the bombing of their hometown Changsha finding refuge in Shanghai - and later, still struggling to survive, set sail for Tawain in search of peace and freedom.
Meilin was simply wonderful with her gentle soul and yet so resilient and brave. And Renshu, who manages to escape the shackles of communism by emigrating to the United States, never being able to shake off the fear installed in him!
Rather than reading this book, I savoured it like a good old wine, sip after sip every morning on my way to the office. An appointment I relished each day. I won’t deny that I teared up several times and had to squint to see the traffic!
I loved learning about Chinese culture and hearing about WWII from a different perspective. It was a real eye-opener!
The prose was exquisite and the little pearls of wisdom hidden in the stories Meilin told Renshu as a boy, will stay with me for a long time!
I’m afraid I won’t be able to look at a peach orchard without feeling a little sentimental now.
A special thanks to the narrator Eugenia Low for making this journey so special!
Peach Blossom Spring is a historical fiction about a family's struggle as they attempt to escape the Japanese invasion in China. It's a story of how families leave behind their lives, posessions, loved ones, and their own culture as China is engulfed in multiple war-time and political animosities.
This novels spans different generations and countries. It began in WWII China, Taiwan and USA. One of my favorite genres is Asian historical fictions and Melissa Fu's debut novel definitely hits the spot. I was able to finish this in two days and I enjoyed immersing myself in the histories, context and culture of Asia.
This novels spans different generations and countries. It began in WWII China, Taiwan and USA. One of my favorite genres is Asian historical fictions and Melissa Fu's debut novel definitely hits the spot. I was able to finish this in two days and I enjoyed immersing myself in the histories, context and culture of Asia.
This is a book of two connected stories.
The first half of the book focuses on Meilin and her efforts to keep herself and a young Renshu alive and safe during WWII and the Chinese Civil War. This first half of the book is beautiful. It draws us in so we’re invested in Meilin’s struggles, her fears, and her sadness. We also get to see her strength, her resilience, and her deep and all-encompassing love for Renshu. Meilin uses stories throughout this part of the book to soothe Renshu, to teach him lessons, and to pass on some of their history. These stories are one of the highlights of the book.
Through Meilin’s eyes we also get a small glimpse into what life was like in China and Taiwan during this time. There are many stories about American and European experiences during WWII, so I was especially looking forward to reading about the war from a different perspective. The first half of the book kept me engaged. I felt connected to Meilin and invested in her journey and I wanted to keep reading about her.
I ran into problems with the second half of the book, which shifts the focus from Meilin to Renshu and his daughter, Lily. We follow Renshu’s journey through graduate school and into adulthood and parenthood. We also get to watch Lily growing up, thirsting for and being denied knowledge about her culture and her father’s history. I struggled to get through this half of the story.
There were a couple of things that made the second half of the book a struggle to get through. The years following Renshu and Lily’s lives span from 1960 to 2005. That is a lot of time to cover in a small number of pages and it made it impossible to dig deep enough into Lily’s and Resnshu’s stories to feel connected to them. It made the second half of the story feel rushed and superficial. There was also a lot of telling in this part of the book, which contributed to how hard it was to feel invested in the character’s lives. The author told us what they were doing and what they were feeling, but by telling us instead of showing us she denied us the opportunity to feel these emotions ourselves and to really get invested in Lily’s and Renshu’s journeys.
This was a mixed bag for me. There were some parts of the story that really dragged and other parts that were truly beautiful. Meilin is a character who will stay with me for quite a while. I appreciated her resilience, her strength, and her willingness to sacrifice so that Renshu could live and have a future.
The first half of the book focuses on Meilin and her efforts to keep herself and a young Renshu alive and safe during WWII and the Chinese Civil War. This first half of the book is beautiful. It draws us in so we’re invested in Meilin’s struggles, her fears, and her sadness. We also get to see her strength, her resilience, and her deep and all-encompassing love for Renshu. Meilin uses stories throughout this part of the book to soothe Renshu, to teach him lessons, and to pass on some of their history. These stories are one of the highlights of the book.
Through Meilin’s eyes we also get a small glimpse into what life was like in China and Taiwan during this time. There are many stories about American and European experiences during WWII, so I was especially looking forward to reading about the war from a different perspective. The first half of the book kept me engaged. I felt connected to Meilin and invested in her journey and I wanted to keep reading about her.
I ran into problems with the second half of the book, which shifts the focus from Meilin to Renshu and his daughter, Lily. We follow Renshu’s journey through graduate school and into adulthood and parenthood. We also get to watch Lily growing up, thirsting for and being denied knowledge about her culture and her father’s history. I struggled to get through this half of the story.
There were a couple of things that made the second half of the book a struggle to get through. The years following Renshu and Lily’s lives span from 1960 to 2005. That is a lot of time to cover in a small number of pages and it made it impossible to dig deep enough into Lily’s and Resnshu’s stories to feel connected to them. It made the second half of the story feel rushed and superficial. There was also a lot of telling in this part of the book, which contributed to how hard it was to feel invested in the character’s lives. The author told us what they were doing and what they were feeling, but by telling us instead of showing us she denied us the opportunity to feel these emotions ourselves and to really get invested in Lily’s and Renshu’s journeys.
This was a mixed bag for me. There were some parts of the story that really dragged and other parts that were truly beautiful. Meilin is a character who will stay with me for quite a while. I appreciated her resilience, her strength, and her willingness to sacrifice so that Renshu could live and have a future.