Peach Blossom spring by Melissa Fu

Name of Book: Peach Blossom Spring

Author: Melissa Fu

ISBN: 978-0-316-28673-2

Publisher: Little, Brown

Type of book: 1938-2005, China, Taiwan, ww2, travel, survival, bombs, Asian male/white female relationship, USA, racism, rape, marriage, family, heritage, stories, tales, culture, left out, identity crisis 

Year it was published: 2022

Summary:

A "beautifully rendered" novel about war, migration, and the power of telling our stories, Peach Blossom Spring follows three generations of a Chinese family on their search for a place to call home (Georgia Hunter, New York Times bestselling author).

"Within every misfortune there is a blessing and within every blessing, the seeds of misfortune, and so it goes, until the end of time."

It is 1938 in China and, as a young wife, Meilin’s future is bright. But with the Japanese army approaching, Meilin and her four year old son, Renshu, are forced to flee their home. Relying on little but their wits and a beautifully illustrated hand scroll, filled with ancient fables that offer solace and wisdom, they must travel through a ravaged country, seeking refuge.

Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. Though his daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, he refuses to talk about his childhood. How can he keep his family safe in this new land when the weight of his history threatens to drag them down? Yet how can Lily learn who she is if she can never know her family’s story?

Spanning continents and generations, Peach Blossom Spring is a bold and moving look at the history of modern China, told through the story of one family. It’s about the power of our past, the hope for a better future, and the haunting question: What would it mean to finally be home?

Characters:

Main characters include Meilin, a young woman married to Dao Longwei who is loyal, resourceful, a masterful storyteller and who is all too human. She is also willing to do whatever she can to make sure her son survives and succeeds. Renshu/Henry is Meilins son and is the firstborn as well as only male descendant. For most of his childhood world war 2 defined him. Due to a few negative experiences during and afterwards in USA, he closes off his heritage to his daughter and refuses to support her in learning about it, mainly afraid of his status and of racism. Lily Dao is the daughter who only desires to know about her father's side. She desires for her father to approve of her and is often lost or uncertain when it comes to life. 

Theme:

Origins and belonging go hand in hand 

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative from Meilins, Renshus/Henry's and Lilys points of views. The tale starts in 1938 in China and stops at 2005 in America. What most impressed me is the atmosphere as well as the character of Meilin, Henry's mother. Either consciously or subconsciously, I am beginning to realize, in terms of generational power, it feels as if the characters of Henry and Lily are diluted or closed off because of the war or lack of knowledge about their origins. ( in one chapter Henry is shocked at the beauty that China contained mainly because he is used to the war defining his pivotal years. Lily is a very hungry individual who just wants to know her other side.) The focus is a lot on familial ties and while there are relationships, they weren't front and center.  I also loved learning details about Taiwan. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

Melissa Fu grew up in Northern New Mexico and has lived in Texas, Colorado, New York, Ohio and Washington. She now lives near Cambridge, UK, with her husband and children. With academic backgrounds in physics and English, she has worked in education as a teacher, curriculum developer, and consultant. She was the 2018/19 David TK Wong Fellow at the University of East Anglia. Peach Blossom Spring is her first novel.

Opinion:

I truly truly loved this novel. This is also a story that was close to my heart because I strongly identified with the daughter who knew next to nothing about her heritage. ( I grew up in Soviet Union and also knew next to nothing about my family history or heritage.) I also imagine that when my son grows up, he might have need of the story. My son is bi-racial, having a European mother and a father from Hong Kong. My son is the firstborn of the firstborn of the firstborn. While I do my best to expose him to my side of the family, I can only do so much to expose him to his Chinese side. I can definitely identify with Henry's fear over his life in USA, and my heart was breaking at how much Henry has shrunk out of fear. I sincerely hope that this novel can one day be taught in schools maybe as a substitute or in addition to The Joy Luck Club. ( Is Joy Luck Club still taught?) Because this represents China and USA that I know from reading Han Suyin ( I also was impressed that her name was included there!) And Peach Blossom Spring was truly a wondrous joy as it presents men and women as full fleshed out people who only want the best they can for their children.   

This was given for review 

5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)