Scan barcode
A review by justabean_reads
Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
(Canada Reads Longlist strikes again.)
A multi-generational story split across two time periods: growing up as one of the few Chinese kids in a mining in B.C. Rockies, and a new mother searching for her own mother, who left her family to move back to Brunei, then disappeared. It deals with a lot of themes around culture, identity, citizenship and belonging.
I found the prose a little simplistic at times (it's a first work of fiction), but the depictions of complicated family relationships, struggling with mental health issues, and a general broadside at the Canadian immigration system made up for it. The whole thing hit a beautifully bittersweet tone. Also, lots of food porn.
A multi-generational story split across two time periods: growing up as one of the few Chinese kids in a mining in B.C. Rockies, and a new mother searching for her own mother, who left her family to move back to Brunei, then disappeared. It deals with a lot of themes around culture, identity, citizenship and belonging.
I found the prose a little simplistic at times (it's a first work of fiction), but the depictions of complicated family relationships, struggling with mental health issues, and a general broadside at the Canadian immigration system made up for it. The whole thing hit a beautifully bittersweet tone. Also, lots of food porn.