Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu
‘The story ends when there is nothing more to strive after. There is no more wanting. There is only the fullness of blossom, the caress of a breeze, a sky joyous with blue. This moment. This now. This peach blossom spring.’
Why do I start my review at the end, with this beautiful quote; it is because this is what this book is for me. It is about finding your peace, finding your place in the world and calling it home.
In 1938, a young Meilin flees her home in China with her young son Renshu, as the Japanese advance towards her burning city. Years of desolation follow; the most terrible and tragic losses, moving from place to place, Meilin’s instinct to survive and protect her only son is what keeps her moving forward.
Years later an escape for Renshu (now Henry), through study and hard work, our story takes us to America, he is successful in his work endeavours, but he can never reconcile his past, the fear that he will be dragged back looms large and the guilt of leaving his mother is suffocating.
His daughter Lily, feels the weight of his loss and strives to understand, but Henry has closed down that part of who he is. His denial of his heritage threatens to break the bond of father and daughter.
Spanning 70 years, 3 generations and some of the most tumultuous times in China’s history, an ambitious endeavour which has been perfectly accomplished. In no small part because this beautifully told story began when Melissa Fu started writing about her own father; in her own words “Peach Blossom Spring is fiction. Although its characters and my family travelled many of the same roads, the story is primarily a work of my imagination”. You can feel that deep rooted personal connection in her prose, this book sings because of it.
A stunning debut; a book that examines the generational shift of the immigrant experience to perfection. From Meilin’s acceptance, to Renshu’s denial, fear and shame to Lily’s understanding and her hope for the future.
A story that also examines the power of a story; what they mean to each of us, how they are told and the weight that they carry. A story that I would recommend you read.

This is Melissa Fu’s debut novel and I found it to be an excellent read. When I was in school and through my early life I really wasn’t interested in history, but now I really enjoy reading and learning about the past. So if you want to learn about China’s history while reading a great book then this is the one for you. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to have to keep packing up and leaving your home with the bare minimum, but Meilin did it time and again with such grace while still being a good mum to Renshu. I think reading this book now was even more poignant due to what’s happening in Europe right now. Thank you to NetGalley and Headline, Wildfire for letting me read and review this book.

I have to say Peach Blossom Spring is one of my top reads for 2022. I felt as if I was on a journey through this book, walking with Meilin and Renshu as they tried to find safety and freedom from the advancing Japanese army.
It was even more poignant for the situation currently in the Ukraine and the millions of refugees fleeing war. The parallels for the fleeing families are clear to see. Meilin, like any mother, sacrifices to ensure that her son is safe and well.
If you enjoy epic novels, sweeping decades, influenced by the history of the time, then this book is for you. 5 star all the way.

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of the ebook in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first half more than second, found it quite slow in places but I did enjoy the writing and story overall. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Okay so this is my first 10/10 this year!! (ad pr product). I’ve read lots of really good 9/10 but they all slightly lacked one thing or another to sweep them over into a full 10 stars!! Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu spans three generations of the Dao family. It starts just as the Japanese Army start to take over China during the Second World War. The story of fleeing from invaders and travelling to try and find refuge makes the story very timely. It helps to know a little bit about the history of China from the late 1930’s onwards as the author doesn’t go into great detail explaining the politics that are pushing are characters forwards, but a quick look at Wikipedia or if you’ve read Wild Swans in the past and you’ll be more than fine.

To start with I thought this was going to be a solid 8/9 star book, but you get swept away with the Dao family, and come to care about them so much that I may have shed a few tears towards the end of the novel. The book provided a real insight into what it is like to live in fear of your own government and the stress that a person can go through when trying to settle into a completely new culture and way of life. It also examines what it’s like to grow-up not understanding all of your cultural heritage, and the expectations that others may have of you due to the way you look rather than how you were actually raised.

Seriously an absolute gem of a book, it’s out this week and I had this as a @netgalley request via @headlinebooks but I loved it so much that I now want a special copy of it.

Reading this book was one of those reading experiences that remind you why you love to read so much. It is exceptional.

Peach Blossom Spring charts three generations of a family, starting in 1938 China, surviving through war, moving through Taiwan and the next generation trying to thrive as well as survive and ending in 2005 America with the third generation trying to make sense of their place in the world and connection to their heritage.

It is immense and epic in its scope and its reflection on the experiences of a generation. Impressively, the book is equally intimate, personal and reflective of the emotions of personal experience. I read this book and felt drawn in to a small understanding of what a young mother went through, what she provided for her son and grand daughter situated within the much wider context of war, displacement and communities across two continents.

This book broke my heart as I cared so much for Meilin, Renshu and Lily. The battle we see Renshu has between being Renshu and Henry was profound and the affect his survival techniques then had on his daughter were painted with such understanding and such love that I couldn't help but reflect on the clear admiration the writer has for her own Father, his experiences and what he worked to give her.

It is beautiful. It deserves to be read by many. This should appeal to anyone wishing to read historical fiction, fiction about Chinese experiences of the last century and anyone who loves to read multi generational family stories. If any of those appeal to you, please pick this one up.

This book was an amazing journey - I loved it.
Interesting and mind blowing like a family saga, but in an intimate, personal way. I was entranced. Learning about Lily's paternal heritage felt like learning and experiencing even more along the way. The depth and richness of the narrative moved me and taught me, line after line.
We follow Meilin, Renshu/Henry and Lily, through wars and trauma in China and Taiwan, moving continents, Henry yearning for safety and Lily yearning about her heritage. Living in the now and a peach blossom spring. Some scenes are emotionally difficult for the characters, and so they are for us. Some scenes are easy and flowing when the characters feel at ease themselves. The themes are skillfully woven in the text with strands of tales, history, personal stories and more. The characters are real and tangible for me.
I highly recommend this book.

I want to thank Melissa Fu, Netgalley and Headline forgiving me an advance reader copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite a long book and I struggled with all the foreign names but, after awhile I got used to it and settled down to enjoy this book. I found it interesting but, was quite glad when I finished it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu Goodreads Review

I got Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu from NetGalley for free for a fair and honest Review.


In Peach Blossom Spring Melissa Fu as taken the story of how families are moved around like leaves on the wind, by events that they have no control over.
While the story is about one Chinese family, focussing on Meilin and her 4-year-old son at the start of the novel Renshu, who at this time in their lives are set for a stable future, however there are dark clouds on the horizon.
The first is when Meilin’s husband is killed fighting the Japanese invasion and shortly after they become refugees after the enemy forces reach their city.
From then on, the family moves around several countries and two continents.
Peach Blosom Spring was one of those historical novels which really gives the reader an understanding of events that they may not be aware of.
But more importantly it allows readers to take the events in the book and apply them in the world. This was particularly true as I started reading this novel at the beginning of March 2022.
However, what really made the novel work was when Renshu goes to America and must deal not only with, the new American Culture, but also the pull of his Chinese past, this was particularly difficult because of the politics of the county that he left behind.
Peach Blosom spring is an excellent story with its style of writing draws the reader into the story and allows the reader into the minds of those that have been displaced by vents beyond their control and how this has affected the generations to come, as they must deal with two different cultures.
All this makes Melissa Fu’s novel Peach Blosom Spring well worth reading.

Fabulous novel which provides a heartbreaking narrative of the realities of growing up in China at that time and the difficulties regarding identity for children of mixed heritage or 'white-passing' - it was fantastic to see Lily breaking the cycle of living your life how others want you to, just as her father and nainai had

“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 the Japanese are advancing. A young mother, Meilin, is forced to flee her burning city with her four-year-old son, Renshu, and embark on an epic journey across China. For comfort, they turn to their most treasured possession – a beautifully illustrated hand scroll. Its ancient fables offer solace and wisdom as they travel through their ravaged country, seeking refuge.

Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. His daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, but 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?

I can’t remember when I last read historical fiction as beautiful and utterly absorbing as Peach Blossom Spring.

Melissa Fu’s evocative and powerful writing brings this achingly beautiful, multigenerational saga to life. The perseverance of the human spirit shines in all three protagonists, be it Meilin, Renshu or Lily. Moving forward, yet bound by their connected history, their trials and triumphs become your own.

The book spans nearly 70 years and alongside their story, traces the history of China. Reminded of the past, and looking forward to a better future while searching for a place to call home, it weaves a rich tapestry of culture and wisdom. Words jump off the page and you’re so completely taken by the powerful emotions, you feel the tugs and cracks in your own heart.

Exquisite and mesmerising, this gorgeous debut only leaves you breathless for more.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Headline Books.

Beautiful!

I know very little about China’s history and so this book was a wonderful whistle stop tour of the history. But so much more than this it is an emotional rollercoaster of a story spanning 4 generations of a family who are faced with war after war, immigration and fear. So topical for today!

The story is beautifully told and the characters are so real and rounded. I particularly like the later parts as the tensions between Henry, Rachel, Lily and Meilin are wonderfully written so we can understand the difficult positions they all find themselves in.

A wonderful story of family, home, belonging and finding your place in the world. A must read.

Such an emotionally gripping book filled with an array of utterly compelling characters. A timely story of a family looking for a place to call home having fled war.

A magnificent sweeping saga of China's tumultuous history. This is a book you won't want to put down. You really root for Meilin and her young son Renshu (later know as Henry), hoping they will find peace in their new lives after fleeing civil war. The final part concentrates on Henry's sparky daughter, Lily, in the US. A poignant story that reminded me of Wild Swans by Jung Chang and the Edward Rutherford novel, China. Beautifully written.

I love Historical fiction and so when j came across this book, I right away requested for it and I'm glad I got accepted. This is beautiful heart rendering story of three generations in a Chinese family and their trials and tribulations.
You will be hooked to it and wouldn't stop until you complete it. Totally recommended.

Well, this was a beauty. I could hardly see the words on the page towards the end through my tears.

This assured debut novel by Melissa Fu is the story of three generations of one Chinese family from the period 1938 to 2005.

Meilin is forced to flee with her young son Renshu when the Japanese army approach their home town. They make an arduous journey across China with just each other, a precious scroll and shared stories and fables to sustain them through hardship and civil war.

In the years that follow, Renshu (Henry) tries to suppress his Chinese heritage but his personal history weighs heavily on him as he embarks on a career and raises his own family in the US.

Quietly devastating, deeply moving and very poignant, I loved this book. I was moved to tears several times while reading, but it’s never mawkish or maudlin. The prose is never embellished or overwrought nor is the book weighed down with historical facts, which allows it to flow seamlessly. The story speaks for itself.

It gave me a deep appreciation of the weight of childhood trauma and the cost of war for children who experience it. A timely read, full of sadness, longing, love and hope. If you loved Pachinko, The Mountains Sing and Wild Swans, or Celeste Ng’s writing, you will love this too. 5/5⭐️

**Peach Blossom Spring will be published on 17 March 2022. Sincere thanks to the author, the publisher @headlinebooks for an advance digital copy via @netgalley. As always, this is an honest review.**

I went into this book with (maybe even unfairly) high expectations. Historical fiction is my favourite and I have a particular interest in Asian historical fiction set within this time period and that spans across multiple generations. Pachinko being my favourite of all time. This book certainly did not disappoint. It surpassed my expectations in every way and was an entirely enjoyable read (enjoyable is definitely isn't the right word given the nature of the content).

I read this book in one day, which given the heaviness of the read said a lot for me. I kept putting it down to complete the things i should have been doing but found myself thinking about it, imagining what might happen to each character next.

This book was certainly educational and I would definitely recommend reading this one alongside some research if you don't know much about the impact of WWII in China or the Pacific war. I feel as though you could enjoy this book without an understanding of these two things however with the understanding of these two things it only made the book better.

Meilin, the character who this book is centred around just made this book for me. She is the perfect balance of motherly and fierce. The love she had for her son and the way in which she always put herself last was so lovely to see. Her and Renshu's whole relationship was my favourite part of this book. It really gave a glimmer of light amongst all of the darkness.

What i really loved about this one that differed from any of the similar works that I have read is that the time span of this book meant that this spanned quite far into the future, it spanned to a point of time where Renshu's daughter Lily could live blissfully unaware of what was haunting her father and it really hit home to me how quickly times change in that she was not a far removed relative or a daughter of a daughter. She was the daughter of somebody who was so profoundly impacted by these wars and even then could live a live so far removed from the one that Renshu had known. I really enjoyed the metaphors behind that element of the book and thought it was a really powerful message around the relativity of pain and suffering. I think by allowing this book to span over that period of time that was much after the war I think it really enabled the exploration of the impact everything Renshu saw and experienced had on him as i think that this is something that can often be overlooked. I found the way this book also looked at the experience of Renshu in America in relation to the nationalist/communist divide really interesting and I think it offered an angle that I have not seen explored before.

The writing style of this book was perfect, it flowed excellently. The chapters were just the right length to keep me engaged and leaving me hungry for more.

Overall I would really recommend this book. Despite the heavy nature of all the topics explored this book did not feel depressing or disheartening and on the contrary this book felt full of hope, love and joy even amongst the darkest of times. The writing was captivating, the characters lovable and their relationships demonstrated the strength of their love for each other. This book is one that you truly experience and I know it will stay with me for a really long time,

This was a fascinating tale of Chinese history and culture. I loved the fables from the Japanese scroll and how Melin told them to Renshu. This showed how a war has lasting effects that span for many generations. From Melin had her determination to survive to Renshu living as a child of war, to Lily growing up in a multi cultural family. I was fascinated with their stories and saddened at how effected they all were by the events in China.

Peach Blossom Spring covers from 1938 up to the present day, it looks at all the major events in Chinese history from how they have affected Meilin and her son, Renshu. The first half of the novel is told from the pov of Meilin, taking place in Chine and Taiwan and the second half of the novel is told by Renshu, in America. These are like two different worlds, not different countries, you couldn't have found two more different ways of life.
This is a beautifully written novel, interweaving Meilin and Renshu's life events with Chinese fables.
I was so invested in them, I wanted Meilin to find happiness and I wanted Renshu to live his life and get over the struggles he'd faced at a younger age.
In the later parts of the novel we are introduced to Lily, Renshu's daughter. I loved how strong she was, how she wanted to learn more about her heritage and I was frustrated with how closed off Renshu was.

A moving story of 3 generations, taking us through the history of China- a tale of loss, love and hope. Beautifully written, this is a family affair that hooks you in.