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There are currently 36 member reviews
for Peach Blossom Spring
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Lynne L. (Tamarac, FL)
Peach Blossom Spring - a Treasure
Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu is a treasure, and I am honored to have read an advance copy to review for BookBrowse. The novel traces not only the history of a family but the history of a country. The turmoil of one reflects the turmoil of the other. One understands in this novel that history is a very personal thing, that history evolves day by day, experience by experience, person by person. History is sights, sounds, food, and above all, stories. I know too little about the history of China,but reading Ms. Fu's novel inspires me to learn and understand more. The characters develop smoothly in spite of the rough road they travel. Tracking their lives as they suffer through war and flee mainland China, navigate uncertain new lives in Taiwan, and ultimately find roots in America shines a light on the insecurities of the immigrant experience and the resiliency of the human spirit. The novel explores the power of love and respect, of family loyalty, of responsibility and self- determination as well as the difficulty and beauty of biracial identity. It reflects the perils of political currents and the jeopardy of ordinary people caught in the cross currents. The bond between Meilin and her son Renshu anchors the first half of the novel. It is a powerful bond of sacrifice and courage. The second half of the novel focuses on the need to acknowledge the stories of one's past to ensure the links to the future. Some find the past too painful; others find not knowing the past too perplexing. In both cases, the power of stories is central. Ms. Fu writes in the opening short chapter: "To tell a story is to plant a seed and let it grow." Peach Blossom Spring does just that from the first page to the last.
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Paula K. (Champaign, IL)
A Moving Story of Epic Proportions
There is moonlight shining before my bed,
I suspect that there is frost on the ground,
Raising my head, I gaze at the moonlight,
Lowering my head, I think of my home village.
Lin Bai (701-762)
Just like the voice in what is arguably the most famous poem in China, so too the widowed Dao Meilin and her son Renshu are separated from their home village by war. Poems and stories tell of the past, of the present, and of the future. They are strong links between us and those who came before us. Peach Blossom Spring tells us the story of a mother's struggles, hardships, sacrifices, and hopes for her only son as they run for their lives from Changsha to, eventually, Taiwan. It also tells the story of Dao Renshu's immigration from Taiwan to the United States, his complicated transformation from Dao Renshu to Henry Dao and the issues that challenge him. And it tells us the story of his struggles to understand who he is just as his daughter Lily later struggles to understand who she is and who she wants to be. Author Melissa Fu has set an ambitious task for herself and she mostly succeeds. Always in the background is the sweeping history of modern China, little of which is explored in much depth. Readers seeking to learn about this tumultuous time in Chinese history may be disappointed. But they won't be disappointed in the novel as a story. Fu is an excellent story teller and Peach Blossom Spring is an absorbing read.
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Dominique G. (Plano, TX)
Fantastic storytelling of a Chinese family in the mid 20th Century
I was transported into the mid 20th century in an area of the world I knew little of. As much as the history of China, Taiwan and Chinese immigration in the US is fascinating; it is truly a novel where the characters shine and drive the story. I loved that over the span of the novel (70 years) we first follow the family thru the young Meilin and as time passes, her son's voice takes the lead and so on. It really allowed a fuller, broader scope of this family's story. I was completely engulfed in their lives. My heart broke to see the hardship Meilin endured; my mind got thinking a lot more later about being biracial in the late 20th century in America. The quest for identity is underpinning the story and the answer is unique to each individual. I hope to read more of this author. Thank you Bookbrowse and the editor for allowing me to read and review this novel!
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Mary A. (Lake Nebagamon, WI)
Very Engrossing
This three generational novel starts in China 1938 and finishes in 2005. The story involves Meilin (mother) her son Renshiu and his daughter Lily.
Mother and son journey through China and eventually Taiwan. They struggle through the invasion of the Japanese, the Chinese civil war, World War II and the arrival of communism. The experiences of war affecting Renshiu impacts his daughter Lily.
There is a lot to take in, history, politics, interracial marriage, racism and immigration. This is a story of country and family loyalty and how the choices made through adverse conditions affect their lives.
The authors descriptions are very vivid. This is a very memorable novel.
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Judith G. (Ewa Beach, HI)
Historical fiction at its best
While not really enjoying the 'narrative' style of this novel, I found it impossible to put down. I marveled throughout for the strength of the female characters. I marveled at the resiliency of all in the story. Meanwhile I learned much Chinese/China/Taiwan history that I had never known before.
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Cynthia L. (Paragould, AR)
Beautiful Imagery
Upon finishing the book, my first inclination was to rate it three out of five stars. However, I rarely rate books until I have lived with the ending for a couple of days. After finishing the book and thinking about the themes and imagery of the book, I kept coming back to the way the author created beautiful landscapes or terrifying events so vivid the reader feels like they are there with the characters. The character development is well done, while the characterization is consistent throughout the book. Some of the events did not play out the way I expected or wanted, but they were appropriate for the character and the time.
The book was well written; it started slow and took a couple of chapters to decide it was a book I wanted to complete. In the end, I enjoyed the book, but I do not believe it is one I would read again.
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Chris H. (Wauwatosa, WI)
Peach Blossom Spring
A wonderful book taking the reader through generations of the family of Dao Hongtse from 1938 to 1997. The story has beautiful images of scrolls that carry tales and history, peach trees, and connections of family. The story also tells of sadness and loss as family is forced apart when Japan invades China. The characters are so complex and the book so well written, I can only recommend that you read it yourself and experience the richness of the time, the people and what they endured.
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