Book Review: Peach Blossom Spring // Melissa Fu
Peach Blossom Spring
Stand alone
Format: e-arc (thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis:
A moving debut novel about war, migration, and the power of telling stories, Peach Blossom Spring follows three generations of a Chinese family on their search for a place to call home.
With 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?
Rate: 5 ⭐
Review:
This story follows a multigenerational family, spanning 70 years. A story of love, loss and hope.
We start in 1938 in war-torn China, about a family of refugees fleeing their country. It focuses mainly on Meilin and her son in their tiring journey through China and Taiwan. And then on Renshu's life in America and finally about his daughter. I loved this book so much. Meilin's resilience, her love for her son and her will to protect him, it was beautiful and saddening to read about. Their life was surely one of hardship and how Meilin did anything and everything to make sure her son was able to grow up well was truly an act of motherhood.
Finally, when Renshu gets an opportunity to go to America for his higher studies, it seemed as if he could leave this life behind but even in a country that's miles away from his home, he has to be wary of who he is because his past could still put him and his mother back home in danger. This is turn affects his daughter's life because he doesn't let her embrace her identity as an Asian American in fear of what China would do to them.
The plot was very gripping but heart-wrenching, the characters were beautifully developed throughout the story and the writing was poetic and gentle. I read historical fiction after so long and it did not disappoint. This was highly impressive for a debut novel and it makes me sad that I cannot immediately read any more of Melissa Fu's works.
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