Peach Blossom Spring, by Melissa Fu (2022)
This novel of China spans from 1938 to roughly 2000 and follows three generations of the Dao family. This is a novel of survival and strength throughout many adversities. The novel begins with Meilin, a young widow with a young son, Renshu. Meilin’s husband, Xiaowen, had gone missing in the second Sino-Japanese War between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan as a part of World War II. Longwei, Xiaowen’s older brother, returned and promised to take care of Meilin and Renshu. Because of the War, Meilin must constantly be on the move to stay away from the fighting. Her most precious treasure is a scroll with a long, painted narrative. She takes out the scroll and reads the stories to her son. Ultimately, Meilin and Renshu escape to Taiwan and are befriended by another young mother with young children. There are references to the political disputes between mainland China and Taiwan ~ which adds to Meilin’s worries.
The next portion of the novel focuses on Renshu. He is a good student and is offered a scholarship to study in the United States. Once in the United States, he is told to “Americanize” his name, and becomes known as Henry Dao. His struggle is that of an immigrant to the United States. He falls in love and marries an American woman and together they raise a daughter, Lily. The final portion of the novel focuses on Lily and her struggles as a mixed-race child. She is curious about her Chinese culture, but her father pushes her away and is not supportive.
Although the author said that the book is fiction, I can help but believe that she drew a great deal of the incidents in the novel from her family background.
Read: May 27, 2024
4 Stars
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