Peach Blossom Spring set in China by Melissa Fu

Submitted: 7th March 2022

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu

Wow. I feel I have been in a time machine and travelled from China 1938 right up until landing in 2005 in America with the most fascinating of Chinese families! Several things intrigued me about this novel – the cover for one is just gorgeous but it was the fact that the author has taken her father’s story told through a series of notes she kept, and has written them into this epic journey.

BookTrail locations in Peach Blossom Spring

Boarding Pass Information :

Destination : China

Author guide: Melissa Fu

Genre: Inspired by the author’s family

Food and drink to accompany: Stir fry and an American milkshake

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BookTrail locations in Peach Blossom Spring

Epic is the word here. We travel from Chongqing to Shanghai and then on to Taiwan before heading across to the USA. Themes of family, belonging, emigration and finding one’s place in the world are all there for us to see and explore with the characters in the book.

As the novel opens we see a character having to decide whether to flee her homeland for safety during wartime or not. They are not a rich family and poor people in China are not of value. China does not seem to want them anymore and so off to the states they go. However, one country’s problems replace another as now they are faced with being outsiders here too, of a different skin tone to their peers, different language and customs also muddy the waters and feeling like a fish out of said water makes it harder to breathe.

BookTrail locations in Peach Blossom Spring

What really worked for me were the two threads of family and world events woven together like on a loom. The two stories are carefully intertwined. The family in the novel as well as the theme of family is always at the centre. The thread of historical events is carefully woven through. They become part of the picture, of their experience and of the picture of the world at large. It never overshadows however so the family, their inner thoughts and the effects of war are at the heart of this work. Oh and let’s not forget the vital role of the scroll! The stories, legends and fables that the author brings to the novel via this scroll is delightful as it is magical.

I have a new respect for those who try to stay In a war torn country, who try to make another country their home and to survive a communist country despite being torn from it. Stories of Chinese folktales and legends enhanced this idea for me and the picture overall was one of allure and fascination despite the reflections of communism and persecution.

I think the author and her family should be very proud of their story reflected in this way. Peach Blossom Spring is sure to blossom in reader’s hands when it is gifted to the world.