The ethos of family is dramatically portrayed by denise chong in this tale of her grandmother, brought from china as a young concubine by a sojourner to the new world, of the mans wife and children who would be left behind, and of the authors own incredible discovery of those children six decades later. Carol jones in 1930s malaysia, 16yearold yu lan is in love with her best friend, ming, whose father owns one of the busiest kopi shops in petaling street. She is the editor of the penguin anthology of stories by canadian women and lives in ottawa, ontario. Theres chan sam, who left an at home wife in china to earn a living in gold mountainnorth america. In her first book, chong reconstructs the story of her mothers chinese and chinesecanadian family, skillfully mixing social history with family biography. The concubines children by denise chong librarything. About the author 1996 denise chong is the author of the concubines children viking and penguin, abookofthemonth club selection. Madame chan is praying to although its more like berating the ancestors for not giving her children, when her joss sticks blaze to life and the. The story consists of one family torn between two countries.
After many years alone in vancouver, canada, chan decided to have a second wife, a concubine, sent over from china. A concubines children were legitimate, but they may have been socially considered secondary to the children born from a wife. Forthcoming in hardback and paperback from head of zeus in june 2018, and as an e book in april 2018. The concubines children by denise chong, 1996, penguin. But mings family dont see the apothecarys daughter. The concubines children book vancouver public library. The concubines children portrait of a family divided book. The concubines child is the first adult novel by carol jones, although she has written a number of works for a younger audience. This book of nonfiction traces the family history of ms. The haunting tale of a concubine and her child life malay. The story is told by herself in an omniscient voice. The concubine s children by denise chang 1607 words.
They were not legally entitled to an inheritance but were sometimes included in their fathers will genesis 25. She begins in 1924, in canton, when her grandmother, mayying, a 17yearold servant, was sold. The concubines children book calgary public library. Apr 05, 1994 the concubines children is a wonderfully crafted nonfiction book written by the granddaughter of the main characters. She eventually marries and has a child, denise, the author of the book. The secret life of an ancient concubine ancient origins. The book has received many awards, including the city of vancouver book award in 1994, the edna staebler award for creative nonfiction, and the vancity book prize. The concubine s children is a wonderfully crafted nonfiction book written by the granddaughter of the main characters.
The concubine 1966 is one of his five novels, the others being the great ponds, the slave, isiburu and estrangement. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this concubines children study guide and get instant access to the following. The concubines children denise chong snippet view 1995. There will be two different generations which is one of the best thing in this book. The concubines daughter is a novel that captured me from the very beginning and never let me go. Denise chong the story of the author s grandmother, brought from china as a young concubine, and of the man s wife and the children who were left behind. Kings and emperors and prophets too are mortal men and cant have sex with all their wives and concubines every night. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Mar 09, 2019 in ancient greece, the practice of keeping a slave concubine was little recorded but appears throughout athenian history.
The subject of his first book is a truelife family history, beginning in about 1920 and ending in 1980. Aug 14, 2019 the concubines child falls into the genre of historical fiction. The concubines children was written by denise chang and published in 1994. The concubines children is the true story of a family cleaved in two for the sake of a fathers dream. And i also snuck in my first novel the concubines child. Overall, i would have to say that the concubines child is a heartwrenching tale that does an exceptional job of highlighting the indomitable spirit of women and their ability to face, endure, survive, and conquer any challenges, struggles, or tragedies that come their way. I was drawn to the concubines child by the unique premise and even more unique location. The story of a family living on two sides of the globe by chong, denise and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. It was the concubines third daughter, the authors mother, who unlocked the past. If you want to understand the history involving chinese families and the culture, this is one not to miss. The concubine s children by denise chong, 1996, penguin edition, in english the concubine s children 1996 edition open library.
In the book, the author traces her familys history, giving a narrative account of members from both sides of the ocean. When my publisher called to say that the concubines children was to be issued with a new cover, the routine question was put as to whether, more than a decade on from the first publication, i might wish to make any corrections or to update the book in any way. Mayying was a concubine and had already given birth to two daughters. The concubines children, by denise chong, is a true story about a chinese family and how both physical and emotional distance can tear generations of families apart. Chang had written this book to find out more about herself and her family journey as chinesecanadian immigrants. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. The concubines children is a story with an insightful outlook to what the chinese had to endure pertaining to immigration and providing for their families during such rigorous times. We are presented with the lives of the children of three generations, starting with the oldest, the story of mayying, a concubine, and her husband, fellow wives and. Chan sam, the familys patriarch, and his concubine, mayying, are denise chongs maternal grandparents.
I must say that i have just realised that the concubines child shares a green cheong sam with amy tans the valley of amazement. The concubine s children 9780140254273 by chong, denise and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The concubines child is my first novel for an adult audience. Portrait of a family divided is a nonfiction book written by chinesecanadian writer denise chong, first published in january 1995 by penguin books. Concubines children by denise chong, signed abebooks.
Set primarily in 1930s malaya known today as malaysia it is the story of a group of women and how they handle the limited choices life gives them. Twentytwo acknowledged concubines and a library of sixtytwo thousand volumes attested the variety of gordians inclinations. The concubines child is about a young girl who is sold to a wealthy family as a concubine and the child she eventually bears across two eras. In the bible, the children of abraham are bitterly opposed to each other because the elder is born of a concubine and the younger is born from the legitimate wife. There are two central conflicts in this story by chong. The subject of his first book is a truelife family. Finalist for the 1994 governor generals award the concubines children is the story of a family cleaved in two for the sake of a fathers dream. It was also shortlisted for the governorgenerals literary nonfiction award.
For those used to reading historical fiction from a western perspective this work is a very different read with its strong asian culture and religion. According to wikpedia, amadis novels are generally about african village life, customs, beliefs and religious practices, as they were before contact with the western world and this is certainly true of the concubine. Carefully balancing cool observation and compassion, chong writes extraordinary history and gives voice to the chinese immigrant experience. An evocative, multigenerational tale of a family haunted by the death of a young concubine. The inspiration for this novel has crept up on me over the last twentyfive years of annual visits to malaysia to stay with my husbands family. She begins in 1924, in canton, when her grandmother, mayying, a 17year. Children of the concubine have no such legal recourse. Using letters, public archives, interviews, and her mothers own memories, chong creates a history rich in physical detail and emotional nuance. The concubines children study guide contains comprehensive summaries and analysis of the book. The ethos of family is dramatically portrayed by denise chong in this tale of her grandmother, brought from china as a young concubine by a sojourner to the new world, of the man s wife and children who would be left behind, and of the author s own incredible discovery of those children six decades later. She is the editor of the penguin anthology of stories by canadian women and lives in ottawa, ontario, with her husband and two children. This book tells so interesting way, how the money will be the power, if you are rich.
In 1930s malaya a sixteenyearold girl, dreaming of marriage to her sweetheart, is sold as a concubine to a rich old man desperate for an heir. Jul 10, 2018 the concubines child is about a young girl who is sold to a wealthy family as a concubine and the child she eventually bears. In her first book in a decade, beloved author denise chong, tells the story of a man who humiliated a repressive regime in front of the entire world, and whose daring gesture informs our view of human rights to this day. This book has the author recount the story as an omniscient narrator. Lim yu lan, the daughter of an apothecary, draws the attention of madam chan, the wife of tinmining tycoon chan boon siew. Chan sam, a peasant, leaves his wife behind in china in order to go to the fabled golden mountain as western canada was refered to at the time 19. Nearly flawless writing draws the reader into an exotic world peopled by complex, interesting characters and retains its grip on that reader throughout the book. Denise chong is the author of the concubine s children viking and penguin, abookof the month club selection.
The book, which the author refers to as being a blend of memoir, fiction, and nonfiction, explores chongs family history. The concubines children has met with widespread praise for its clear and candid style and its honest treatment of the often sensitive subject matter. Portrait of a family divided is a nonfiction book written by chinesecanadian writer denise chong, first published in january 1995. The concubines children is the story of a family cleaved. The concubines child will takes you for two different time, in 1930s malaysia and in 2016. The concubine s children made china come alive knowing she was writing about actual people and those still living while she was doing her research. Petaling jaya, july 10 much has been said of novels about malaya written by foreigners, not all of which are good. The concubines children 9780140254273 by chong, denise and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices.
Read more the concubines child, travel featured, kuala lumpur, the concubines child, things to do leave a comment on ten things to do in kuala lumpur book tour by. I had just read snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see when i found this book. Denise chongs the concubines children is an epic biography of a chinese family working in gold mountain in the early 1900s in an effort to uplift their familys standard of living back home in the small village of chang gar bin, situated in chinas south. The concubines children is the story of a family cleaved in two for the sake of a fathers dream. A great history lesson about vancouver and nanaimos chinatowns, canadas treatment of chinese immigrants, and of the hardships faced in china. An evocative, multigenerational tale of a family haunted by the death of a young concubine in 1930s malaysia. Law prescribed that a man could kill another man caught attempting a relationship with his concubine for the production of free children, which suggests that a concubine s children were not granted citizenship. The concubines children by denise chong, 1996, penguin edition, in english the concubines children 1996 edition open library. Concubines children by denise chong, paperback barnes. The concubines children is a wonderfully crafted nonfiction book written by the granddaughter of the main characters. The haunting tale of a concubine and her child life. We are presented with the lives of the children of three generations, starting with the oldest, the story of mayying, a concubine, and her husband, fellow wives and children.
The concubines child by carol jones 9781786699831 booktopia. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Madame chan is praying to although its more like berating the ancestors for not giving her children, when her joss sticks blaze to life and. The concubine by elechi amadi goodreads share book. Her story, which really isnt a happy story, gives the reader an unusual insight into the imigrant experience of asian americans, and is written by the. The concubines children begins with denises grandparents, chan sam and mayying. The concubines children book ottawa public library. The concubines child falls into the genre of historical fiction.
The concubines children made china come alive knowing she was writing about actual people and those still living while she was doing her research. The story of a family living on two sides of the globe by chong, denise and a great selection of related books, art and. The concubines children is the story, of a woman from china who came to britsh columbia, canada to be the concubine, not wife of a rather unimaginative, and very traditional man. Book was sad and full of sorrow but there was also hope, which makes this book so good. Buy a cheap copy of the concubine s children book by denise chong. In 19, chan sam left an at home wife in china to earn a living in gold mountain, british columbia. Discover other books like this, author exclusives, and more. Theres mayying, the wilful, seventeenyearold concubine he bought, sight unseen, who labored in tea houses of west coast. This superbly told saga of family loyalties and disaffections reads more like a novel than an actual chronicle of chan sam, a chinese peasant who left his family in 19 to seek his fortune in the gold mountain of western canada.
Chongs maternal side, and details how this side of her family was divided between china and canada. What is the central conflict in this selection from concubine s children. Buy a cheap copy of the concubines children book by denise chong. This is a biography of three generations of a chinesecanadian family.
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