Fengxian Chu

I know very little about the history of China and after reading this book I still know very little about the history of China. The book covers a long time period from 1920 to the present but it’s derived from one woman’s personal journal. She was a remarkably literate woman for her time and place but she was ignorant as to what was going on not only in her own country but in the world as a whole.

Charlene Chu was on a trip to China and was on a quest to learn more about her father’s history. In her quest she found so much more that she could have hoped. In searching for where her father was born she actually found some surviving members of his family. They led her to her father’s cousin, Fengxian who was still alive but living near Hong Kong. Charlene traveled to see her and found that she had written journals telling the story of her life. It was a remarkable thing given that women from her generation were rarely literate. Fengxian wanted to leave the story to her children but was excited at the idea of having the story published. Charlene worked at getting it translated and packaged for Western readers and Song of Praise for a Flower was born.

The story is a fascinating one. Fengxian was a headstrong young woman; she fought against the tradition of foot binding and the marriage her mother arranged for her. She continued her education to college where it was sadly interrupted by WWII. Her life did conform to the traditional when she married to a degree but she mostly kept her bold spirit.

It does take a bit to get used to the rhythm of the writing. It is written in a very linear style and it feels very close. Fengxian lived a very cloistered life to a degree and she readily admits that she paid no attention at all to world or China affairs so their is no surrounding context to the actions in the book. I spent a bit of time with Mr. Google to help my meager knowledge of the history of the time.

This is truly a character driven tale and they are strong and memorable. I found myself thinking about this story long after I finished it.… (más)

Song of Praise for a Flower: One Woman’s Journey Through China’s Tumultuous Twentieth Century by Fengxian Chu and Charlene Chu is the story of a woman growing up in 20th century China. Fengxian experiences the changing of China from traditional ways to modern ways. She is the first of her family to attend college and pick who she wants to marry. We see how her life is impacted by the Japanese occupation in the 1940’s and the political environment changing from a Dynasty to modern Communism.

This book is also filled with Chinese tales and sayings as well as the authors wisdom gained through a long life. My favorite quote is,” Now, in the final season of my life, I see that each of us is given only one chance at life. We must take advantage of every opportunity that life presents. For when we do not truly live, life loses its meaning.”

This an eye opening story about one woman, but also her family, in China during the 20th century. I loved this memoir and think everyone shoould read it. I liked learning about aspects of Chinese history that I was not aware of before. I think everyone should read this book in order to get a glimpse into China and the life of it’s people. This is a beautifully written memoir that you will want to read again and again.… (más)