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There are currently 36 member reviews
for Daughters of Shandong
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Susan W. (Hamilton, OH)
Daughters of Shandong
A story of survival, based in part on the struggle of the author's grandmother to survive after Mao's Communist takeover of China; Abandoned by the rest of the family who escape the approaching soldiers, the mother and children are left and forced to walk away from their home.The mother's goal is to reunite with the family in Qingdao, but the family has moved on to Hong Kong (no surprise). After two brutal years they find their family. No easy journey, always a struggle to find food and shelter. Some people help them, but no one has much to offer, This is also a character study of the women, both young and old, their strengths, the cultural rules accepted by the mother, and the awareness of the daughters that these rules are not fair. Loved the book, and found it hard to put down.
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Beth P. (Amagansett, NY)
Debut Novel
This debut novel is based on true events from the life of the author's maternal grandmother life in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Eve J. Chung, the author interviewed many relatives and incorporated pieces of their stories into the narrative of her debut novel.
The theme of boys being superior and more valuable than girls within the Chinese family structure is repeated throughout the novel.
Actual historical events that took place in that part of world frame the narrative…the reader will be reminded (or learn) of the political upheaval that shaped large swaths of Asia during the 1940's and 1950's …
Within this historical context, the book is well written but dwells on small details where larger ideas would have told the story in fewer words…for me, as a reader, I would have liked the book better with fewer mundane details as we follow the family from one heart wrenching situation to another.
The pacing of the plot was inconsistent: the beginning and middle events described in the novel are written with many details but the final portion is written in broad strokes and felt rushed.
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Elinor S. (Loudonville, NY)
Daughters of Shandong
I loved this book. I'm always happy to learn any history, especially about the far east.
The way the Chinese treated females was despicable. Hopefully it has improved.
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Molly A. (Pryor, OK)
"Daughters" Is A Compelling Read
"Daughters of Shandong" surprised me. With it being the first book ever written by the author, Eve Chung, my expectations were low. However, the book was very hard to put down; I found myself staying up late into the night to finish it.
The book opens on a land-owning family, the Angs, in China during the Communist revolution, and is based on the life of Chung's grandmother. The father and paternal grandparents in the family flee to Taiwan, leaving behind the women and children. Hai, the oldest of the all-female children, suffers the most at the hands of the Communists in retribution for her father's societal privilege. The story is written in simple prose, but the narration is very compelling, and the reader feels like they are immersed in the tense, desperate climate of the time. The characters are well-shaped, and for those who aren't familiar with the history in China at the time (like myself), the author provides adequate background information. I highly recommend this book.
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Joyce W. (Rochester, MN)
A Communist Takeover
This book starts in 1948 as the Communists fight the Nationalists in China. The description of the brutality is amazing. The suffering of the Chinese landowners and their families is described in detail. Also amazing is the way the Chinese feel about girls and women as being worthless even as they are the vessels that carry and take care of the sons that they worship. The saving grace is the vision of the next generation of women who use their strength, brains and common sense to realize their way of life needs to change. By educating themselves they can change the lifestyle of their daughters and their daughters to make the world a better place. The mother-in-laws power and evilness in the family is unbelievable. I found this book to be very difficult to read and felt very angry but hopeful at the end.
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Lynne B. (Somersworth, NH)
Excellent Debut Historical Fiction- Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung
This debut novel is a champion work of historical fiction. Based on true events in Eve Chung's family background the story of the Mao takeover of mainland China comes to life through Ms. Chung's writing. This is a period of history that is important for all to know the details of but is not well covered in Western education. I am pleased that Ms. Chung has brought this period of Chinese history to us in a very readable novel format. The characters are engaging and quickly draw you in to the story. You are going to cheer for these neglected and abused girls as they adjust to the peasant refugee life with their mother. Their survival depends on their wits and perseverance which they demonstrate at every turn in the story. The plight of the peasant class in China during Mao's takeover is so illustrative of other parts of the world where a dictator reigns and the rights of women are challenged. These women are all heroes in this story and will long remain in my memory.
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Paula B. (Albuquerque, NM)
Resilience Defines Survivors
This is a fictional autobiography of a woman born into a wealthy Confucian family, pre-World War II. The focus is the religious, cultural and economic structure of China in 1948 that was completely and often cruelly changed as Communism overwhelmed mainland Imperial China. The story spans the most cataclysmic change China has seen, at least in modern times. The story is well told and an important rendition of Confucian cultural enslavement and denigration of women and the poor. It does much to explain why the promise of Communism was welcomed by the starving masses. It doesn't address whether or how well that promise was fulfilled. Other novels about this time period reflect the same horrendous conditions imposed on the landless and the debilitating cultural attitude toward women, however this book goes far to explain the religious basis for and enforcement of the rules of behavior and how they were finally destroyed. The primary female characters were resilient and brave. Their story is well told and shared by perhaps millions. This story provides valuable insight to Westerners unfamiliar with Chinese Confucian culture and therefore is a good bookclub choice.
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