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A review by thebooksatchel
Ghost Girl, Banana by Wiz Wharton
A literary read with alternating POVs.
What to expect?
- Alternating POV set in the Chinese Windrush (1966) to early 1970s following nurse Sook-Yin who comes to England from Hong Kong for a better life. Sook-Yin's younger daughter Lily in 1997 comes across a large inheritance and tries to find out more about the inheritance, her mother's history etc; set during Hong King's handover to China in 1997.
- Sook-Yin was an interesting character. She makes new friends despite her misconceptions that she might not transition into the England life easily (I loved the Marilyn, Clark Gable and movie stars talk between her and her roommate Peggy). She then works as a nanny, meets a white guy Julian and marries him. They start a business and try to build a life.
- Sook-Yin's brother's characterisation, though small, was shocking and punches you in the gut. He blames Sook-Yin for marrying a colonizer and also puts her down. These scenes show the contrast between how Sook-Yin is trying to find a new life in a new land and how her family's expectations of her are very different.
- The title draws from Lily being the ghost girl (perhaps Sook-Yin too in some measure, finding herself in a new country, and her decisions not accepted by her family). Banana is a derogatory term for a white person.
- The daughters are brought up by their father. Maya the eldest daughter with features that fit into Western standards has an easier life. Lily, the youngest daughter finds it difficult to fit in, being away from her heritage, and because of the way other kids/people treat her. (The scene where she tries to search whether a Western girl could be born with a monolid ). While Maya sails through life, Lily finds herself stuck. The author then transports Lily in a search for the truth about her mother. But she finds that she doesn't fit in there either. It was enlightening reading about the diff struggles Lily faced, and also how nice people can bring out the best in you.
What could've been better?
- I wish Lily had more things to say/feel about the other people in her life. She seemed reduced to pursue the truth about her mother. How did the death of her father affect her? While we see enough of Maya, I wished she was more fleshed out and her role existed not just to show how she and Lily were different, or to aid the fleshing of the character Lily. I would've liked Maya to have more individuality, perhaps like Sook-Yin's character sketch. While this is Sook-Yin and Lily's story, but I was curious about Maya beyond her role to aid Lily's story.
-I feel Julian, for his irresponsible, manipulative ways was toned down by the author. When Sook-Yin's brother was well written in a few dialogues, the father and husband in Julian could've been better written too. It was almost as if his faults are no big deal and toned down. Why?
What to expect?
- Alternating POV set in the Chinese Windrush (1966) to early 1970s following nurse Sook-Yin who comes to England from Hong Kong for a better life. Sook-Yin's younger daughter Lily in 1997 comes across a large inheritance and tries to find out more about the inheritance, her mother's history etc; set during Hong King's handover to China in 1997.
- Sook-Yin was an interesting character. She makes new friends despite her misconceptions that she might not transition into the England life easily (I loved the Marilyn, Clark Gable and movie stars talk between her and her roommate Peggy). She then works as a nanny, meets a white guy Julian and marries him. They start a business and try to build a life.
- Sook-Yin's brother's characterisation, though small, was shocking and punches you in the gut. He blames Sook-Yin for marrying a colonizer and also puts her down. These scenes show the contrast between how Sook-Yin is trying to find a new life in a new land and how her family's expectations of her are very different.
- The title draws from Lily being the ghost girl (perhaps Sook-Yin too in some measure, finding herself in a new country, and her decisions not accepted by her family). Banana is a derogatory term for a white person.
- The daughters are brought up by their father. Maya the eldest daughter with features that fit into Western standards has an easier life. Lily, the youngest daughter finds it difficult to fit in, being away from her heritage, and because of the way other kids/people treat her. (The scene where she tries to search whether a Western girl could be born with a monolid ). While Maya sails through life, Lily finds herself stuck. The author then transports Lily in a search for the truth about her mother. But she finds that she doesn't fit in there either. It was enlightening reading about the diff struggles Lily faced, and also how nice people can bring out the best in you.
What could've been better?
- I wish Lily had more things to say/feel about the other people in her life. She seemed reduced to pursue the truth about her mother. How did the death of her father affect her? While we see enough of Maya, I wished she was more fleshed out and her role existed not just to show how she and Lily were different, or to aid the fleshing of the character Lily. I would've liked Maya to have more individuality, perhaps like Sook-Yin's character sketch. While this is Sook-Yin and Lily's story, but I was curious about Maya beyond her role to aid Lily's story.
-I feel Julian, for his irresponsible, manipulative ways was toned down by the author. When Sook-Yin's brother was well written in a few dialogues, the father and husband in Julian could've been better written too. It was almost as if his faults are no big deal and toned down. Why?