The Jady Peony

This post originally published on January 9, 2010.

Author: Wayson Choy
Published: 1995
Publisher: The Other Press
276 pages (paperback)
 
Synopsis: Liang, Jung and Sekky are three children growing up in Chinatown, Vancouver in the 1930’s and 1940’s, a time of hardship for immigrant families to Canada. At the center of their family is their elderly Grandma or Poh-Poh, who is keen on maintaining the traditions of Old China, while the children struggle with their identity. Against a backdrop of the war between Japan and China, and later, World War II, these three children each experience a different, unique childhood as they grow up not quite Chinese but also, not quite Canadian. Liang is the only girl in the family, and she tells the story of her becoming best friends with an elderly old China man, Wong Suk. Jung is the adopted son of the family and his story is about him learning about boxing and wanting to join the Canadian Army, but can’t, because he is Chinese. Sekky is the youngest and is constantly sick with a lung infection, and discovers the difference between friends and enemies is not always clear.

My Thoughts: It’s difficult to provide a synopsis for this book, actually, as you can tell by the vague one I wrote up. There isn’t really a conventional plot, it is more like a collection of experiences each child tells. This book is split into three parts, each part narrated by one of the three children — Liang, Jung and Sekky (there is also a fourth child, Kiam, who is the oldest, but he does not have his own part) — and each of the children tell their own story about growing up in Vancouver, Canada as Chinese, yet, they do not feel completely Chinese as they are born in Canada. There is a lot that happens in each part, much more than I wrote about in the synopsis. It’s a story about searching for identity, about friendship, overcoming racial barriers, old traditions versus modernity … many things.

This book is a part of my required reading for my Canadian Literature class; usually I find myself bored to tears when I read books assigned to me by my professors, but I really enjoyed this one. I think, because I have a Chinese background but I was born in Canada, I could relate to and understand most of the experiences Liang, Jung and Sekky encounter. Like the characters, I consider myself Canadian, not Chinese. I was not alive back in the 1930’s or 40’s (duh) but the themes of the book can still be applied today. I can still clearly remember myself exclaiming at my mom, asking her why the hell I have to go to Chinese school when I live in Canada, something similar to the novel’s characters. I think the fact that I can relate to this novel so well is what made me enjoy this book so much. This is a moving story, and I was pleasantly surprised by the author’s way of capturing even the smallest details about Chinese mannerisms, speech, etc.

Overall, I liked this book very much and finished it in two days. Since I had the advantage (?) of already understanding many of the Chinese customs and sayings the book uses, I am not sure if those unfamiliar with Chinese culture (or the narrow minded) will feel the same way I did about the book, but for sure, if you enjoy reading about Asian cultures, or even just different cultures in general, this is a must-read.

 My Rating: 4/5