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"The ethos of family is dramatically portrayed by Denise Chong in this tale of her grandmother, brought from China as a young concubine by a sojourner to the New World, of the man's wife and the children who would be left behind, and of the author's own incredible discovery of those children six decades later." "Here is a true story, woven from letters, photographs, and memories, with more twists and turns than any novel. It is a story of the lives of one family living on two different sides of the globe: in a village in South China before and after the Communists took power, and in the gritty Chinatowns on North America's west coast. The "at-home" wife would hold sacred the honor of the family; supporting her was the concubine who sacrificed her own family in working the tea houses abroad, in "Gold Mountain." In tow was her youngest daughter, the author's mother. It was she who unlocked the past for her daughter, whose curiosity about some old photographs ultimately reunited this family, who had been divided for most of this century."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved… (plus d'informations)
Inhaltlich fand ich das Buch meistens interessant, deshalb die 3,5 Punkte. Der Großvater der Autorin Chan Sam nahm 1924 ihre Großmutter May-ying in Kanada als zweite Frau. In weiten Teilen verdiente sie das ganze Geld sowohl für die Familie in Kanada als auch in China. Ihre ersten beiden Kinder werden traditionsgemäß der kinderlosen Ehefrau Chan Sams in China übergeben. Die jüngere Tochter, die Mutter der Autorin, bliebt in Kanada. Dass May-Ying kein glückliches Leben hat, zur Alkoholikerin wird und als Mensch hart und ungerecht ist, überrascht nicht wirklich. Dennoch ist es für die Tochter in Kanada und alle Angehörigen, auch den Adoptivsohn, kein leichte Leben. Das Buch zeigt anhand von Briefen udn anderen Dokumenten, auch Bildern, auf, wie dieses zerrissene Leben zwischen Kanada und China gelebt wurde, in politisch schwierigen Zeiten. Die Mutter Winnie schafft es, sich zu lösen und schließlich auch die Annäherung an China und die Familie dort. Ich fand das Buch allerdings nicht allzu spannend geschrieben, eher additiv. Daher war ich trotz des guten Thema versucht, nur 3 Punkte zu geben. ( )
This is a biography of three generations of a Chinese-Canadian family. Chan Sam came to Canada and left his Chinese wife at home, but soon brought a beautiful younger Chinese woman to Canada as his concubine: May-ying. May-ying gave Chan Sam 3 daughters; before the 3rd one (Hing) came along, the other two had been taken back to China to live with Chan Sam’s Chinese wife. Hing, the daughter who stayed in Canada, was mostly neglected by her drinking, gambling mother. Hing’s daughter, Denise, is the author of the book. The book does focus mostly on May-ying, but it also tells the story of the family in China, as well. I can’t recall the phrase in the book, but something along the lines of a split family.
I thought this was very good. It covers a good portion of the 20th century, so it also includes a bit of history of how Chinese people were treated in Canada, and North America, in general, over that century. The story was interesting, and it did primarily focus on the most interesting person, in my opinion, May-ying. There was also a nice set of photos included – photos of those in both Canada and China. ( )
I'm always fascinated to see peoples' full life stories. This book could have only included teen/young woman May-ying and what her life was like; or it could have just included her later adulthood; or her somewhat terrifying turn as the author's fearsome Grandmother. But instead we watch May-ying, the titular concubine, and see how she progresses from one stage of like to another, ultimately bringing a better understanding of what a person's whole life looks like. I learned so much about Chinese history and culture, about the founding of British Columbia, the original Chinatowns, and specifically so much about this one convoluted family tree. Recommended. ( )
A really well written and moving family memoir. Engrossing, thought provoking and true to life depictions of the hard times suffered by Chinese immigrants in Canada. Peopled with flawed, unlikeable, superstitious and stubborn characters. The scenes of early life in Vancouver, the first family in China and the many sacrifices of the Canadian second family were fascinating and heartbreaking. Also interesting was the Communist Revolution and its result on the family members. So well researched and thoroughly revealing, I rate it 5 stars. ( )
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais.Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
To the memory of my Dad
Premiers mots
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais.Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
De zwangere bijvrouw gaat in een klein Chinees dorp naar een blinde ziender, van wie men aanneemt dat hij de toekomst beter kan voorspellen dan een waarzegger die het licht nog in de ogen heeft.
Introduction by Tess Gerritsen: When I was a child, my family would sometimes drive up the coast from San Diego to San Francisco to visit relatives and to shop and dine in Chinatown.
Preface to the First Edition: Long after my grandparents, Can Sam and May-ying, had passed on, I would often return to the cedar chest upstairs in my parents' bedroom in our home, open the bottom drawer and take out the pile of old black-and-white photographs there.
Preface to the Second Edition: When my publisher called to say that The Concubine's Children was to be issued with a new cover, the routine question was put as to whether, more than a decade on from the first publication, I might wish to make any corrections or to update the book in any way.
In a small village in China, the concubine, pregnant, consults a blind fortune-teller, whose predictions are considered to come closer to the truth than those of a sighted one.
Citations
Derniers mots
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais.Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
Ik zou hun zeggen dat zij hun ogen nu in rust kunnen sluiten.
"The ethos of family is dramatically portrayed by Denise Chong in this tale of her grandmother, brought from China as a young concubine by a sojourner to the New World, of the man's wife and the children who would be left behind, and of the author's own incredible discovery of those children six decades later." "Here is a true story, woven from letters, photographs, and memories, with more twists and turns than any novel. It is a story of the lives of one family living on two different sides of the globe: in a village in South China before and after the Communists took power, and in the gritty Chinatowns on North America's west coast. The "at-home" wife would hold sacred the honor of the family; supporting her was the concubine who sacrificed her own family in working the tea houses abroad, in "Gold Mountain." In tow was her youngest daughter, the author's mother. It was she who unlocked the past for her daughter, whose curiosity about some old photographs ultimately reunited this family, who had been divided for most of this century."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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Der Großvater der Autorin Chan Sam nahm 1924 ihre Großmutter May-ying in Kanada als zweite Frau. In weiten Teilen verdiente sie das ganze Geld sowohl für die Familie in Kanada als auch in China. Ihre ersten beiden Kinder werden traditionsgemäß der kinderlosen Ehefrau Chan Sams in China übergeben. Die jüngere Tochter, die Mutter der Autorin, bliebt in Kanada.
Dass May-Ying kein glückliches Leben hat, zur Alkoholikerin wird und als Mensch hart und ungerecht ist, überrascht nicht wirklich.
Dennoch ist es für die Tochter in Kanada und alle Angehörigen, auch den Adoptivsohn, kein leichte Leben. Das Buch zeigt anhand von Briefen udn anderen Dokumenten, auch Bildern, auf, wie dieses zerrissene Leben zwischen Kanada und China gelebt wurde, in politisch schwierigen Zeiten.
Die Mutter Winnie schafft es, sich zu lösen und schließlich auch die Annäherung an China und die Familie dort.
Ich fand das Buch allerdings nicht allzu spannend geschrieben, eher additiv. Daher war ich trotz des guten Thema versucht, nur 3 Punkte zu geben. (