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pripri87's review against another edition
3.0
Divided into three sections, each section provides a first-person perspective, a snapshot- in- time of three children of a Chinese-Canadian family. The first section- of the only girl child in the family - is the weakest, reading like an after- thought. Rquested as an add-on by editors, perhaps, to boost the book's female representation? The writing doesn't flow, and the character and her thoughts feel underdeveloped and unrelatable (having been an 8-year old girl myself once). Perhaps the author just isn't as practiced at writing from the female perspective?
The rumours are true - this is a book where nothing much happens. In the second and third sections, this is not a negative. Sometimes you need a book that ambles along slowly, with little gems of information here and there that reveal facts and observations about a culture you know very little about. But this is not so of the first section, where the book is most at danger of losing readers. Regardless, do persevere, because the other two sections- about two boys in the family, are much better written, their thoughts and character much more well-developed, even poignant.
The third also features a female character, who reads like a romanticized version of a female character. There aren't too many roles afforded females here, beyond love, or in the case of the little girl, dance and pretty clothes. Unhappy events befall the female character, but as the narrator is a young lad of 8, it's significance is lost on him, and it's for the reader to read between the lines.
As a look into early Canadian history of Chinese immigrants, I would recommend this book. It's not exciting, and it can move at a snail's pace but the writing is tight, descriptions of scenes are colourful, and characters, for the most part, are memorable.
The rumours are true - this is a book where nothing much happens. In the second and third sections, this is not a negative. Sometimes you need a book that ambles along slowly, with little gems of information here and there that reveal facts and observations about a culture you know very little about. But this is not so of the first section, where the book is most at danger of losing readers. Regardless, do persevere, because the other two sections- about two boys in the family, are much better written, their thoughts and character much more well-developed, even poignant.
The third also features a female character, who reads like a romanticized version of a female character. There aren't too many roles afforded females here, beyond love, or in the case of the little girl, dance and pretty clothes. Unhappy events befall the female character, but as the narrator is a young lad of 8, it's significance is lost on him, and it's for the reader to read between the lines.
As a look into early Canadian history of Chinese immigrants, I would recommend this book. It's not exciting, and it can move at a snail's pace but the writing is tight, descriptions of scenes are colourful, and characters, for the most part, are memorable.
dunnadam's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent, rich story of life in Chinatown in Vancouver in the 1930's.
The author does a fantastic job of painting his life as a child of immigrants, and the struggle to balance the old and the new ways. The character of his grandmother is amazing, in her 80's and born in 1850 she is such a wealth of knowledge and really represents the ways of old China.
Many times with this book I found myself talking to family and friends about it, relaying how the Chinese all believed in ghosts, how they lived in a shack and you could see daylight through the walls, how every white person in their life was referred to as "White Demon".
Later in the book the author also illustrates very well the us vs them mentality of war. People who live across the street are suddenly violent enemies. At one point a lynch mob of sorts goes through Japan-town and breaks things, beats people up, and the small child narrator wonders why they didn't go help. But the older Chinese remember a time 30 years or so before when a similar mob went through Chinatown and know this is not the answer. This book is especially relevant now in our global village where lines are blurred and we are all on the same side.
The book was well put together and made me think. The only criticism I have is that it ended too suddenly and I did not feel the significance of the title was fully explored. Also as mentioned in the questions at the back of the book, not much happens in the story.
But I really feel these are minor complaints compared to the rich tapestry of life presented in the story. 4.5 stars, a must read for every Canadian.
The author does a fantastic job of painting his life as a child of immigrants, and the struggle to balance the old and the new ways. The character of his grandmother is amazing, in her 80's and born in 1850 she is such a wealth of knowledge and really represents the ways of old China.
Many times with this book I found myself talking to family and friends about it, relaying how the Chinese all believed in ghosts, how they lived in a shack and you could see daylight through the walls, how every white person in their life was referred to as "White Demon".
Later in the book the author also illustrates very well the us vs them mentality of war. People who live across the street are suddenly violent enemies. At one point a lynch mob of sorts goes through Japan-town and breaks things, beats people up, and the small child narrator wonders why they didn't go help. But the older Chinese remember a time 30 years or so before when a similar mob went through Chinatown and know this is not the answer. This book is especially relevant now in our global village where lines are blurred and we are all on the same side.
The book was well put together and made me think. The only criticism I have is that it ended too suddenly and I did not feel the significance of the title was fully explored. Also as mentioned in the questions at the back of the book, not much happens in the story.
But I really feel these are minor complaints compared to the rich tapestry of life presented in the story. 4.5 stars, a must read for every Canadian.
katharines's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first book I've read of this kind. A fictional story based on real experiences of Chinese immigrants in Vancouver during wartime. Focusing on three children of the family, telling stories from their viewpoints, all with a common theme of trying to fight who they are (or, in the case of the girt, who she is being told she is). The ending almost brought me to tears.
akublik's review against another edition
3.0
I'm trying to read all of the Canada Reads books this year - somehow I have not read any on the list yet. I really enjoyed Choy's storytelling style, and the characters.
justabean_reads's review against another edition
5.0
The novel follows three siblings in Vancouver's Chinatown in the late 1930s and early 1940s, focusing on the cultural divide across generations, with the Japanese invasion of China and Canada's entry into the war running in the background. The older two children get about a quarter of the book each, the girl's story taking place when she's quite young and seeing the world through the twin lenses of Shirley Temple movies and her grandmother's Monkey King stories. Whereas the boy, who was adopted after a tragedy killed his birth parents, is approaching puberty, spending a lot of time at a boxing gym trying to be the next Joe Lewis, and developing an agonising crush on the bad boy next door. In both, the war is still very much overseas, though its deeply affecting the Chinese community. By the time the youngest takes over narration for the back half of the book, the Commonwealth is in the war, and Vancouver's Chinese and Japanese communities are violently at odds.
More than anything, it's a portrait of Chinatown as it was, with so much of the population people who came with the railway building generation, and the old country's dialects, religion, traditions, rivalries still live on with them. The neighbourhood overflows with intertwined family histories and tragedies, most of the men battered by a life in heavy industry, most families trying to set by a little extra to ship their ancestors' bones back to China. Each of the children navigate the questions around identity differently, finding value in one tradition or another, while trying to find a place in a Canada that doesn't want them.
Gorgeous, nuanced book. I see there's a sequel (prequel?) about the oldest sibling who didn't get a point of view in this one, which I mean to check out.
More than anything, it's a portrait of Chinatown as it was, with so much of the population people who came with the railway building generation, and the old country's dialects, religion, traditions, rivalries still live on with them. The neighbourhood overflows with intertwined family histories and tragedies, most of the men battered by a life in heavy industry, most families trying to set by a little extra to ship their ancestors' bones back to China. Each of the children navigate the questions around identity differently, finding value in one tradition or another, while trying to find a place in a Canada that doesn't want them.
Gorgeous, nuanced book. I see there's a sequel (prequel?) about the oldest sibling who didn't get a point of view in this one, which I mean to check out.
rubyrjm's review against another edition
4.0
Read for Canada Reads 2010, and for my book club. I enjoyed each character's story more than the last. It was very compelling.
starenglish's review against another edition
5.0
The ending broke me! Such a good book. I liked learning new things from this book. I would highly recommend it but search up trigger warnings before you dive in!
rocketbride's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it. Such a welcome change from the heavy books.