Comment

Jun 17, 2013WVMLBookClubTitles rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Choy’s first novel reads like a memoir and is a collection of stories about a family living in Vancouver’s Chinatown before and during World War II. Three siblings experience very different childhoods as they grow up amongst the strict structures of a traditional Chinese family struggling with poverty and a rapidly changing world. Sister Jook-Liang is entranced by her hero Shirley Temple, while her adopted brother Jung-Sum struggles with his sexuality and their brother Sekky becomes obsessed with war games. Stepmother is a house servant and concubine who gradually assumes the role of mother but can never achieve full status in the home. The complexity of the extended family is beautifully portrayed by Choy and his descriptions of wartime Vancouver are memorable.