Alice Poon's Blog, page 6

"The Green Phoenix" in Third Place...

Asian Books Blog announces that The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang came in THIRD in the poll to find the Book of the Year of the Rooster, out of a shortlist of 12 Asia-themed titles.

http://www.asianbooksblog.com/2018/02...

A big thank-you to voters!

Book Review - The Gift of Rain

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was a very compelling read. The story is set in Penang, Malaysia, just before, during and shortly after the Japanese invasion and occupation in World War II. It follows the soulful trajectory of a half-Chinese, half-British local young lad, who learns the hard lessons of duty, love and loyalty in the midst of war-time brutalities, when it is most difficult to draw the line between right and wrong.

The book is divided into Part One and Part Two. Part One tells how Philip Hutton, a half-British half-Chinese youngest son of a wealthy British merchant family meets with a Japanese consulate official, Endo-san, and how he comes to love and respect him as his sensei (teacher) in aikido and its attendant philosophy, Japanese culture and language, and the meanings of harmony and love. He is eager to show his Japanese sensei around Penang. Philip, whose Chinese mother died when he was a child, feels isolated from his British family members including his father, and finds affections and acceptance in Endo-san’s mentorship and friendship. This Part also deals with the cultural misunderstanding between Philip’s father and his maternal Chinese grandfather that caused great pain to his mother. After a meeting with the old man, who tells Philip the story of his youthful days as a tutor to a would-be Chinese emperor in the Qing court, the young man changes his perception of the old one and finds it in his heart to forgive his previous callousness towards his mother. Philip also comes to accept his father and half siblings.

Part Two describes in the background the atrocities that the Japanese invaders inflict on the residents of Penang, and how Philip struggles with the dilemma between keeping his family safe and being an upright citizen. (view spoiler)[In his all-consuming desire to protect his family, he bows to Endo-san’s pressure and agrees to work for the Japanese. Now he realizes that Endo-san has been spying for the Japanese military and using him as a source of information. He finds himself an accomplice to the Japanese in executing innocent villagers and city residents. He also indirectly causes the death of his half sister and aunt. When his best friend Kon, who is with a British military camp, decides to engage in a dangerous plot against the Japanese, Philip becomes an informant in an effort to save Kon, but his effort failed. (hide spoiler)]

The story is told through Philip’s recount of the events to a woman who comes from Japan and who wishes to know everything about Endo-san, having been in love with him. In the painful recalling and reliving of events, Philip at last finds peace with himself.

I find the plot a complex and enthralling one, although a few details stretch the imagination a bit. The writing is lyrical and evocative of emotions and gives a beautiful description of the island of Penang.

I’m giving it 4.3 stars.




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"The Green Phoenix" Shortlisted for the Award of the Asian Books Blog Book of the Year of the Rooster

It is truly an honor for The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang to be shortlisted for the award of the Asian Books Blog Book of the Year of the Rooster, and I'm thrilled to be in great company. The literary award is a tribute to books of particular interest in, or especially relevant to, Asia.

For the full shortlist, please go to:

http://www.asianbooksblog.com/2018/01...

Praise for The Green Phoenix from L.A. Review of Books China Channel

Reading this commending review of my novel on the LARB China Channel has certainly made my day! Thank you so much, Jeremiah!

https://chinachannel.org/2017/12/18/g...

Having a historian praise my historical novel on a popular scholarly media platform is perhaps the best reward I could ask for :) It makes my years of hard work seem all worth it!

Here are some quotes from the review:-

“Where the novel really shines is in the level of historical detail. Poon gives sumptuous descriptions of dress and hairstyles. Lavish dinners and quick snacks are laid before the reader in such a way as to inspire hunger pangs. The early years of Bumbutai’s life, both at home in the Mongolian Steppe and in Hung Taiji’s palace in what is today Shenyang, particularly come to life with a vivid array of colors, textures, and sensations.”

“The style of the work owes a debt to the famous wuxia novels of Louis Cha (aka Jin Yong). Some passages are lush to the point of being florid, but Alice Poon’s novel is, at heart a, romance of two kingdoms. She breathes fresh life into characters who do not often find their way into English-language fiction, and does an excellent job of bringing to the page the story of a woman who was the foundation upon which an empire that lasted over 268 years was built.”

TimeOut Shanghai's Interview with Me

TimeOut Shanghai's Helen Roxburgh kindly interviewed me through Skype on The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang and posted the interview on October 10, 2017.

Link to the interview:-

http://www.timeoutshanghai.com/featur...

Book Review - The Great Walk of China: Travels on Foot from Shanghai to Tibet

The Great Walk of China: Travels on Foot from Shanghai to Tibet by Graham Earnshaw

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Travel books have never been a favorite of mine, but I had been drawn to this one by a recent 5-star Goodreads review, plus the fact that the author happens to be my publisher.

What sets this travelogue apart from others is that its focus is on the author's interactions with the people he met throughout his journey on foot (this is possible as the author speaks fluent Mandarin and reads and writes Chinese), which naturally add a spontaneous and human dimension to the places he visited.

The author makes it clear at the start that this was not a contiguous journey, but rather a series of walks that spanned six years. He could only afford to devote a few days every month to this walking project, and each time he made a fresh start at the point where he had last stopped. The direction he took was always to the west. At the end of the journey, he covered the provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei and Sichuan with a total distance of roughly 2,000 kilometers. Almost all the villages, towns and countryside he passed through were off the beaten track - I admit that the place names are all unfamiliar to me.

Through his random and incessant conversations with people from all walks of life he met on the road, readers get a good glimpse of how the locals go about their daily lives and of their thoughts about the past, present and future. It is apparent that the author not only has a deep sense of empathy for the lower echelons of Chinese society, but is genuinely concerned about the future of the kids who have the misfortune of being denied proper education.

The bright spots of the book are descriptions of otherworldly beautiful scenery of some remote and untouched countryside stretches which, if not consciously preserved, will be trampled and wiped out by blind development.

I love this book for its humbling and inspirational qualities, for which I gave 5 stars.



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Bryn Hammond's Interview with Me

I was really glad to be interviewed by Bryn Hammond about The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-Made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang, as she asked me all the thought-provoking questions! Bryn is a scholar of Mongolian steppe history and a writer of a series of novels about Genghis Khan. The interview was done at the end of September, but I somehow forgot to post it on my blog here.

Here's the link to the full interview on Bryn's blog:-

http://amgalant.com/interview-with-al...

In the interview I mentioned three of Jin Yong's martial arts and chivalry novels that had been translated into English. I've recently found out on Twitter that another newly translated novel, named "Legend of the Condor Heroes" (which is the first of three volumes), will soon be published by MacLehose Press. It's good to see Jin Yong's most popular novels finally getting the attention they deserve!

Historical Novel Society's Review of The Green Phoenix

I was so happy to see this review by Viviane Crystal :

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...

Many thanks to HNS and Viviane!

"The loveliness of this novel, however, lies in the characters’ appreciation for beauty in nature, paintings, calligraphy, historical tales and legends, nature and spontaneously shared poetry that never fails to engage the reader. The history is well-researched and accurate, including the advice the Empress and her son receive from the German Jesuit and astrologer, Johann Adam Schall von Bell. The wisdom of Confucian and Chinese teachings ultimately leads the Empress to enable her country to evolve into modernity. The Green Phoenix is delightful historical fiction and a wonderful tribute to a noteworthy Chinese empress!"

Book Launch Date & Venue - "The Green Phoenix"

I am happy to announce that the book launch for my new historical novel The Green Phoenix: A Novel of the Woman Who Re-made Asia, Empress Xiaozhuang, will take place on Wednesday, November 15 , 2017 at 6:30 p.m. at Bookazine, One Exchange Square (Shop 305-07), in Hong Kong. All are welcome! I will be signing books, chatting with readers and distributing beautiful bookmarks!

Whether you are a fan of Chinese history or not, chances are you will enjoy reading the colorful story of one of the most influential women in China’s history. Her efforts and ultimate victory at promoting peace and cultural diversity and tolerance in an afflicted China are significant not only in a historic sense, but are also an inspiration in our empathy-deficient times.

For readers’ easy reference, there is a complete List of Characters and a Chronology at the back of the novel. A physical book is much easier for flipping back and forth (versus an e-book). Plus you can get it signed by me at the book launch!

Looking forward to seeing you on November 15!

Bookish Asia's Review of "The Green Phoenix"

I can’t imagine a better way to start the day than reading a heart-warming review of my book first thing in the morning. And the review is one from the renowned book review site Bookish Asia!

http://bookish.asia/green-phoenix-ali...

Author Alice Poon obviously loves her characters and Chinese history. She treats the historical story with great but not slavish respect, striking a reasonable balance between accuracy and narrative punch.

The Green Phoenix is a moving account of a great woman’s life, one which will appeal to fans of epic family sagas and Chinese dynastic history. There are the familiar pleasures of forbidden desire, royal splendor, court intrigue, and epic battles amid turbulent times, but here with the fresh focus on a less-familiar protagonist.

Alice Poon says an early source of inspiration was Pearl S. Buck’s Imperial Woman about Cixi, the Qing’s last Empress. I think the Empress Xiaozhuang story is every bit as compelling.

Thank you, thank you, Bookish Asia!