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A review by abundance_of_fiction
Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I wish I could give half stars because this is truly a 4.5 ⭐️ book for me! The only think keeping it from being 5 ⭐️ was the pace of the last half of the book; it really slowed for me during the transition of Henry/Lilly, before it picked back up at the end.
The story itself was such a beautiful exploration into how war/life effects three different generations.
Meilin and Renshu’s migration and war journey was so compelling and the things that Meilin endured to get to Thailand was so heartbreaking. Then Renshu/Henry feeling like he had to abandon his culture to assimilate and avoid “politics” forced the reader to consider how he was still fighting a war, even if it looked completely different. (The scene where he has PTSD to the war after JFK was so jarring and emotional). Finally, Lily describing her desire to understand her culture, but then still not really being apart of it, brought a different kind of sadness. Especially when Lily states that she just wanted to belong.
The conclusion, and the passage of heritage -finally- from father to daughter was such a beautiful moment. I teared up thinking about all the pain that Renshu had to acknowledge, in order to finally let his daughter in on what his life had really been like. The repetition of stories from grandmother to his daughter felt like a nod to all the ways that we can try to move on but that there is this common thread that lingers.
I’m ranting, but the story was beautiful and I have so many emotions. In short, loved it. Melissa Fu is a phenomenal storyteller.
The story itself was such a beautiful exploration into how war/life effects three different generations.
Meilin and Renshu’s migration and war journey was so compelling and the things that Meilin endured to get to Thailand was so heartbreaking. Then Renshu/Henry feeling like he had to abandon his culture to assimilate and avoid “politics” forced the reader to consider how he was still fighting a war, even if it looked completely different. (The scene where he has PTSD to the war after JFK was so jarring and emotional). Finally, Lily describing her desire to understand her culture, but then still not really being apart of it, brought a different kind of sadness. Especially when Lily states that she just wanted to belong.
The conclusion, and the passage of heritage -finally- from father to daughter was such a beautiful moment. I teared up thinking about all the pain that Renshu had to acknowledge, in order to finally let his daughter in on what his life had really been like. The repetition of stories from grandmother to his daughter felt like a nod to all the ways that we can try to move on but that there is this common thread that lingers.
I’m ranting, but the story was beautiful and I have so many emotions. In short, loved it. Melissa Fu is a phenomenal storyteller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and War