Peach Blossom Spring: A Novel

by Melissa Fu Narrated by Eugenia Low

Overview

In this "beautifully rendered" novel about*war, migration, and the power of telling our stories, three generations of a Chinese family search for a place to call home (Georgia Hunter, New York Times bestselling author).

"Within every misfortune there is a blessing and within every blessing, the seeds of misfortune, and so it goes, until the end of time."

It is 1938 in China and, as a young wife, Meilin's future is bright. But with the Japanese army approaching, Meilin and her four year old son, Renshu, are forced to flee their home. 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.

Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. Though his daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, he refuses to talk about his childhood. 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?

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. 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?

Editorial Reviews

MAY 2022 - AudioFile

Eugenia Low performs this powerful cross-cultural historical novel about a Chinese mother and young son who immigrate to America after enduring the horrors of the Japanese invasion in 1938. Destitute, Meilin and her son, Renshu, flee on foot with few possessions except an ancient scroll embellished with Chinese folktales. Low portrays Meilin’s simultaneous fear and courage as she desperately protects her son on the journey and employs an increasingly confident voice for Renshu as his studies in America eventually earn him an engineering career. The story of Renshu’s struggles as an immigrant student in the mid-twentieth century still resonates; he feels neither fully American nor fully Chinese. Low’s British-Asian voice is easy on the ears, and her melodic delivery of Chinese words is delightful. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

"Fu's accomplished first novel documents Henry's diligent attempts to put down roots in New Mexico, but it's strength lies in its portrayal of the many places—Changsha, Chonquing, Shanghai, and points in between—where his mother, Meilin, sought refuge with her only child."—New York Times Book Review

“Magical, and powerful, Peach Blossom Spring brings to life the costs of wars and conflicts while illuminating the spirit of human survival. Inspired by her father’s real-life experiences and her determination to comprehend her family’s past, Melissa Fu has gifted us with a timely, moving, and universal novel.”—Nguyen Phan Que Mai, author of The Mountains Sing

"A beautifully rendered meditation on the trials and triumphs of a family torn apart by war, Peach Blossom Spring left me pondering how the stories we choose to pass down have the power not only to define us, but to buoy us—to help us persevere through the most challenging of times.”—Georgia Hunter, New York Times bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones

“Expansive, atmospheric, and affecting. Peach Blossom Spring shows just how much the human heart can hold, and it left me breathless.”
 —Susie Yang, New York Times bestselling author of White Ivy

“I absolutely adored this novel about love and war, migration and belonging. . . . During moments of deep sadness and loss, there is also beauty - the beauty of enduring love, of identity, of hope. Melissa Fu portrays the time, the culture, the place and the struggles of this family so vividly, with nuance and color and life. Her writing is subtle and powerful, it stays with you, it follows you like the smell of the peach blossoms, it evokes emotions and questions and enlightens you. This is such a stunning achievement!”—Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo

"Richly described . . . deeply compassionate . . . a haunting tribute to immigrant families and a gorgeous meditation on how stories can shape identity."—Shelf Awareness

“A rich, sprawling saga straddling continents, decades and fractured histories, Melissa Fu has written a gorgeous book of family love and loss. Fu braids together historical details with characters whose hopes and fears pull you along on every page, and leave you wanting more.”—Te-Ping Chen, author of Land of Big Numbers

“Peach Blossom Spring is a sweeping epic that transports the reader from war-torn China, where a mother consoles her son with ancient fables, through to modern-day America, where a little girl searches for her identity and the secrets of her father’s history. Melissa Fu effortlessly conjures a world rich in texture, taste and detail in this gentle, heartfelt, and moving story. It’s glorious and tender, exquisitely written and beautifully nuanced. I finished it with tears in my eyes and will be recommending it to everyone I know.” —Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne

"Melissa Fu chronicles a tumultuous period in Chinese history with stunning grace, while also offering us a fresh and important take on the immigrant story. In Dao Renshu’s family journey—fleeing from China during WWII, then finding and refinding himself in America—I recognized so many pieces of my own. Captivating from beginning to end.” —Mira T. Lee, author of Everything Here is Beautiful

“A brilliant multigenerational tale that stretches across the decades from pre-WWII China to post-Cold War America. Fu's novel is full of dynamic characters whose lives fill the pages with beauty and tragedy. . . . It's a timely story of displaced Chinese immigrants searching for home and identity after war and revolution ravage their homeland.” —Mary Lynn Bracht, author of White Chrysanthemum

“This intricately woven journey of four generations of a family buffeted by the complex tectonics of 20th century China and the US is so well told that I often paused to admire Fu’s poetic magic in bringing her characters and real historical moments to life.”—Helen Zia, author of Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao’s Revolution

Library Journal - Audio

★ 07/01/2022

After a slow start, this majestic saga (Fu's debut) follows one family through 70 turbulent years (1938–2005) of Chinese history. In 1938, as the Japanese army closes in on China, meek widow Meilin becomes a formidable force when she must scrabble to simply feed her four-year-old son, Renshu. Soon the invasion forces them to flee their home, but Meilin's engaging personality, talent as a raconteur, and practical skills (sewing, cooking) sustain her during a perilous journey to Taiwan. Later, with his mother's blessing, Renshu goes to study in the States, eventually settling in Los Alamos, NM, with his devoted wife Rachel and daughter Lily. Despite Renshu's reluctance to recall his early life, Lily revels in all things Chinese. A lovely interlude brings Meilin to visit the U.S.; 20 years later, Renshu and Lily travel to Taiwan. Fu's novel is rich with fables, and narrator Eugenia Low's storytelling style is an ideal match. Low makes the characters and their accents beguiling and believable, particularly when voicing Rachel and Lily. VERDICT This gorgeous story was meant to be narrated.—Susan G. Baird

MAY 2022 - AudioFile

Eugenia Low performs this powerful cross-cultural historical novel about a Chinese mother and young son who immigrate to America after enduring the horrors of the Japanese invasion in 1938. Destitute, Meilin and her son, Renshu, flee on foot with few possessions except an ancient scroll embellished with Chinese folktales. Low portrays Meilin’s simultaneous fear and courage as she desperately protects her son on the journey and employs an increasingly confident voice for Renshu as his studies in America eventually earn him an engineering career. The story of Renshu’s struggles as an immigrant student in the mid-twentieth century still resonates; he feels neither fully American nor fully Chinese. Low’s British-Asian voice is easy on the ears, and her melodic delivery of Chinese words is delightful. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176412932
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	03/15/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged

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