A truly affecting and evocative story about family, loss, hope, and belonging that spans decades and three generations of a family whose lives have been unmistakably changed by the effects of war is told in Melissa Fu's exquisitely written debut novel.

Given current events, certain aspects of the story are hard to read, but it was hard not to get swept up in the prose. The writing was superb and really moving. The images of being trapped in a war zone, being separated from family, and not knowing whether they have survived—all while trying to keep your child/remaining family members safe—is both harrowing and heartbreaking to even contemplate. Despite the fact that every character is fictional, it is wonderful to know that Fu's family's story and other real-life experiences were used as inspiration for the events we see, which undoubtedly added to the book's poignancy for me.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Eugenia Low, who brought the story (and Melissa Fu's beautiful writing) to life vividly. 'Peach Blossom Spring' illustrates the history of modern China through the experiences of one family. Fu also intersperses the text with some Chinese folk tales, which I particularly enjoyed. It's a captivating, multi-generational novel and one which I found deeply moving. I look forward to reading more from this author.

In 2012 I spent a summer studying in China and had the most amazing experience. During my time in China I learnt a lot about this history of China, something I must say is very much lacking from the British History Curriculum in schools as it is absolutely fascinating, and I am still keen to learn more so so was excited to read Peach Blossom Spring.

I absolutely adored how the book moves through time from 1938 China to present day USA and how it weaves in fables and stories from Chinese history and storytelling. The book covers so much, from the Japanese invasion of China in the Sino-Japanese War, the ongoing battle for ownership of Taiwan and the challenge of identity and heritage in the Western world and cross cultural relationships.

The storytelling in Peach Blossom Spring is beautiful. It flows well despite spanning such a long time frame and it is engaging, interesting and full of empathy. I was so drawn in to Renshu and Meilin's story. I was touched by the selflessness and generosity of Meilin and enjoyed the spirit of Lily.

I'm not a huge reader of historical fiction but when done properly it really is a thing of beauty and Peach Blossom Spring really is a spectacular novel.

Gave up listening to it. Far too confusing to keep up with…. Desperately tried to finish but gave up.

The story of a Chinese family looking to find a new home.
Historically interesting.
I did enjoy reading about the family’s heritage and traditions.

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

An epic multi-generational tale telling the story of a Chinese family starting during Japan’s invasion of China in the 1930s. We first follow Meilin and her son Renshu on a journey across China seeking safety. We then come to America with Renshu years later who becomes Henry Dao. Finally, the story focuses on Lilly, Henry Dao’s Chinese-American daughter.

I found this to be an incredibly emotive and engaging story exploring belonging, culture and the quest for somewhere to call home.

The audio narration was great and kept me engaged. Will definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant, stunning, amazing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me access to the book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a wonderful book - I do wish I read it instead of listening to it though as I am afraid I may have missed or skipped over some nuances.

I love a multigenerational story, it is one of my favourite methods of storytelling.
Meilin and Renshu's stories were absolutely heartbreaking and gorgeous to read at the same time.
This would really suit anyone that enjoyed such titles as The Mountains Sing and Homegoing.

A really enjoyable book. It is a slow burner especially as I tended to listen in half hour sections. There is so much history in this book. Rarely does a book cover such a long period of Chinese history including the Japanese invasion, Second World War, Communism and the Cultural Revolution. IAn interesting aspect was how Renshu/Henry copes with his past once he has settled in the USA. Henry in adulthood was a very frustrating character. All in all a beautiful book. I particularly enjoyed the Chinese folk stories.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

A phenomenal fantasy tale with a brilliant narrator that really brought the book to life in a way I haven't really experienced with a fantasy audiobook yet. Definitely recommending this to customers!

Hands up if you prefer to get your history lessons through fiction? ✋ Well this is a beautiful and epic novel about the history of modern China, with family, identity and loss at its heart.

Following three generations of one family, the story moves from China in 1938, as Meilin and her son Renshu find themselves moving from place to place trying to escape the Japanese army, until they eventually settle in Taiwan, all the way through to 90s America as Meilin’s granddaughter Lily tries to understand her father’s reticence for her to learn about her Chinese heritage. The name Peach Blossom Spring comes from one of the stories which Meilin tells Renshu growing up, from an illustrated hand scroll which her husband gave her to secure their future.

This is a BIG story - not necessarily in novel size, but in the scope and everything which is covered within these pages. From war, migration, politics and everything in between, this novel doesn’t shy away from emotive topics. But at its heart is a family, and their different ways of finding their place in the world whilst trying to keep each other safe.

I loved how the thread of identity ran through this but in so many different ways for each generation - from Meilin, whose identity as Renshu’s mother is taken from her, to Renshu/Henry (as he becomes in America) and his political identity, and then to Lily and her identity as a mixed race woman growing up in the US where she doesn’t know where she fits in. It’s a really powerful and moving novel in so many ways.

I have to be honest and say that it didn’t hit me as much as I expected it to - not because it isn’t incredible storytelling, or full of wisdom, but because there just wasn’t enough lightness to balance all the heartache in it for me. It’s quite a heavy story and whilst I loved the characters and their journeys, I just needed some more warmth or humour to balance it out a little. Having said that, I still think it’s incredible and am so glad I read it!

It took me a while to get into this book. I have the audio version and the narration is excellent, but initially I found my attention drifting and I’d lost the storyline. On reflection, I think this was down to me; it just wasn’t the right time to listen to the story. However, after a few false starts, I went back to the beginning and heard what felt like a completely different book. I was totally attuned and I’m so pleased I stuck with this because it turned out to be a remarkable journey.

It covers a period and places I know little about. China especially is a country of secrets and mystery and the conflicts and cultural challenges depicted in this tale feel real. The author has used a fictional setting against a factual background to explore so many themes. The scope is astonishing; three generations over some 70 years, the brutal invasion of China by the Japanese, family heartbreak and resilience, migration to a new and different life. It’s a true family saga and the pace throughout is measured.

This I believe is a debut and shows remarkable writing talent. I can’t begin to imagine the complexities if weaving all the detail of the plot into a narrative and characters who feel like real people. Ultimately, I really enjoyed this and I’ll certainly watch for more from Melissa Fu.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, however the rest felt a bit too dragged....
I do usually enjoy family sagas, but this book wasn't my cup of tea.
But I guess it will be good, for those who enjoy longer stories....

However if we talk about narration it was good, I'm glad I had a chance to listen an audiobook too.

This is a moving multi-generational novel following a Chinese family through 3 generations looking at some dark issues: the impact of WWII in China on Meilin and her young son, Renshu as they struggle with the loss of family, displacement and loss of everything they have held dear; immigration to the USA and the cultural upheaval that brings; and family secrets that can tear families apart.

It is a slow read to begin with but beautifully descriptive of time and place. The characters are the heart of this book and through their stories and lives the book really comes to life. Meilin is brave and so loving and giving in her decisions; she feels so real because of how well she has been created by Melissa Fu.

It is an interesting slice of Chinese history of which I was only vaguely aware and I would thoroughly recommend it to people who enjoy historical fiction or want to know more about this area but it is also great for those who appreciate lyrical writing with characters that become almost real as they spring off the page.
Thanks to Netgalley and Melissa Fu for the opportunity to enjoy this story.

Peach Blossom Spring shows the ways three generations are shaped by one another’s relationships to what happened in 1940s and ‘50s China. Stunning representation of survival, being displaced, and assimilating (or not). Voice slowly shifts like you are unrolling a scroll.

I didn’t realise that I didn’t know anything about Chinese and Taiwanese history until I started reading this book but I really don’t. The story begins with a mother morning her husband who is assumed dead in combat. It follows her journey, keeping her son safe, and progresses from there.

The middle section of the book when “Henry” is in America is really affecting as he is torn between who he was, who he thinks he should be, and the fear of being seen to be political. Peach Blossom Spring explores belonging and survival in so many ways. It considers what heritage is and who gets to hold on to such things in the wake of war.

I did not play the audiobook after downloading before it expired. I have the ebook copy and my review will be under that.

Following three generations, Meilin, Renshu and Lily, Peach Blossom Spring looks at war (both against the Japanese and the Chinese Civil War), immigration and what it means to be Chinese. Each character's perspective has a different story, starting with Meilin's journey across China and beyond with Renshu, then Renshu's path to America and finally Lily's struggle to find out who she is as a half Chinese girl growing up in America. It shows three very distinct stories that span three countries and the better half of a century.

I struggled to get used to the narrator a bit at first and at the very start of the book there were a lot of Chinese names in a very brief paragraph, which I might have kept better track of if I had been reading traditionally instead of listening, but it quickly became clear that I only needed to keep track of a few characters. As I settled into the narrators voice, I loved the way she pronounced the characters names and other Mandarin words, as Mandarin is a very beautiful language. I also loved the way they did phone conversations and the TV broadcast later in the book, made to sound as if the person was actually at the other end of the phone or on TV.

I also really loved the folk stories that were told by Meilin throughout the first few sections of the book. The title, Peach Blossom Spring, is reference to one of these stories but I think my favourite was about the man who owed a very beautiful horse that was both a blessing and a curse. The other part I really enjoyed was Lily's story. I loved her as a character and was interested to see her try to navigate her Chinese heritage. It was really interesting how much Renshu was impacted by his war torn past and his need to navigate the political climate of China and Taipei. I really felt for both characters.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's interested in Chinese history and culture. It was a very interesting read.

I absolutely loved this book..

It surprised me, quite considerably.

The most significant aspect of my thoughts for this book is the fact that it is the audiobook and not print book I reviewed. I can honestly say I don't think I would have enjoyed this book half as much had I read it. The narrator did an incredible job of bringing each character to life for me. She also enhanced my listening experience through the correct pronunciation of character names, cities and cultural references that I simply would not have got had I read a print edition - the air of authenticity shone through. I was captivated by her storytelling.

A five star audiobook listen for me across the board for the storyline, performance and plot.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone.

I listened to this as an audiobook and absolutely loved every second. A sweeping epic of a novel, it had me thoroughly emotionally invested as Mei Lin struggles to survive China at a time of huge upheaval, escapes to Taiwan with her son and has to begin her life again with very little support and danger around every corner. An evocative and skilfully written book that will stay with me for a very long time, and that I intend to buy in paperback so I can revisit it again in the future.

A wonderful epic story across 3 generations from the Japanese invasion of China in 1938, through Taiwan and emigration to the US. I listened to the audiobook version and it was very well read.

The central characters are Mei Lin and her son Renshu (later Henry) and what it takes to survive. Through the story, survival is sometimes a matter of chance, sometime something you achieve through your own actions. In addition, some of the earlier choices made to be safe may later turn out to be undoable which then causes tensions and frictions

Another key theme in the novel is that of freedom - even though Renshu/Henry might be physically safe later in the novel, he's not emotionally free. He also suffers from trauma and flashbacks, again meaning that he's not free from his past or his fears for his relatives elsewhere.

In short, this is a great book to read then re-read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.