Title: Peach Blossom Spring
Author: Melissa Fu
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Wildfire Books (UK),
Pages: 400
Release Date: 17 March 2022
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Hello fellow booklovers and welcome to my stop on Melissa Fu’s beautifully written, deeply moving and evocative debut, Peach Blossom Spring. A sweeping tale of family, loss, hope and belonging that spans several decades and three generations of a single family, whose lives have been unequivocally shaped by the consequences of war.
I also wanted to say a huge thank you to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me on this tour and to Wildfire books for the ARC which is absolutely stunning!
Synopsis
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?
Review
The writing was phenomenal and incredibly emotional, I can definitely say that I bawled my eyes out several times whilst reading this, especially given current world events. I couldn’t help but find myself envisioning how terrifying it must’ve been for the Daos (and still is for many people worldwide) , the experience of being trapped in a war zone, being separated from family and not knowing whether they’ve survived-all whilst trying to keep your child/remaining family members safe—it’s both harrowing and heartbreaking even contemplate.
I loved the rich and detailed history we get to experience of life in China during and after WW2 was actually really interesting, as a European this isn’t something we ever get to explore—I know I never did at school (mostly focusing on the effects of European/ western countries during that era) and I found it incredibly eye opening.
Also, though every character is fictional, I loved that the experiences we witness were inspired by the stories and experiences of real people-including Fu’s own family—which definitely made it an even more poignant read for me.
I really loved how the characters we meet are all genuinely compelling and three dimensional, Meilin was my probably my favourite—strong, smart, resourceful and heroic. I absolutely loved her and her dedication to creating a safe, loving environment for her son (even with such scarce resources during uncertain times.) Renshu (who takes on the name Henry when he reaches the US) was also a really compelling and complex character.
Haunted by the trauma of his childhood Henry spends a-lot of time distancing and disconnecting himself from his own culture in an attempt to forget his experiences—there is one scene set in the 1962/3 at his university that I found heartbreakingly poignant.
I also loved the way in which Chinese fables manage to subtly connect all three generations of The Dao family and felt (for Meilin and Renshu/Henry especially) like the one constant thing throughout the uncertainty and turbulence of their lives.
Overall, a richly detailed and emotionally immersive and timely tale of resilience and the immigrant experience that I literally haven’t been able to stop thinking about since finishing. A definite must read for all Historical fiction lovers.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
About The Author
Melissa Fu grew up in Northern New Mexico and now lives near Cambridge, UK, with her husband and children.With academic backgrounds in physics and English, she has worked in education as a teacher, curriculum developer, and consultant.
Melissa was the regional winner of the Words and Women 2016 Prose Competition and was a 2017 Apprentice with the London-based Word Factory. Her work appears in several publications including The Lonely Crowd, International Literature Showcase, Bare Fiction, Wasafiri Online, and The Willowherb Review.
In 2019, her debut poetry pamphlet, Falling Outside Eden, was published by the Hedgehog Poetry Press. In 2018/2019, Melissa received an Arts Council England, Developing Your Creative Practice grant and was the David TK Wong Fellow at the University of East Anglia.
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