The writing in this story is such that you cannot help but be completely immersed and I found it hard to put down once I started it. It really allows us to be in their shoes as much as possible, and while this makes for some hard reading, especially in the beginning of the book when Meilin and Renshu are on the move, it makes it all the more authentic. I loved the way the story was told through the three characters eyes – first Meilin, then introducing us to Renshu, and eventually adding on his daughter, Lily. I felt for this young mother who must make such incredibly difficult decisions, trying to provide for her son, and then watching her son make what he felt were the best decisions for him and then ultimately his family. It is both epic in scope of what it covers, and intimate in the way it is portrayed. There wasn’t one section that I felt dragged or that I was not interested in. It follows three generations of one family through seventy years and I found myself completely engaged with every part of this book. This book is steeped in history and yet is so incredibly readable.
I am such a huge fan of multigenerational family sagas but never have I been more captivated and entranced that I have with this one – and to think it is a debut novel. This was one of my selections from the Book of the Month club last month and one of our picks this one and I am so glad we selected it to read together and discuss. 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? 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. 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? Though his daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, he refuses to talk about his childhood. Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. 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. But with the Japanese army approaching, Meilin and her four year old son, Renshu, are forced to flee their home. It is 1938 in China and, as a young wife, Meilin’s future is bright.
“Within every misfortune there is a blessing and within every blessing, the seeds of misfortune, and so it goes, until the end of time.” A “beautifully rendered” novel about war, migration, and the power of telling our stories, Peach Blossom Spring follows three generations of a Chinese family on their search for a place to call home (Georgia Hunter, New York Times bestselling author).
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