Second Chinese Daughter

by Shirley Fung

Second Chinese Daughter delves into the evolving status and roles of women in society as depicted through the experiences of three generations of women in a Chinese family in Penang.

Feng, the second daughter in a family of seven siblings, grapples with her lowly hierarchical position in her family and society. Set between the 1930s and ’60s, against a backdrop of significant historical events and everyday life in Malaya during that period, this novel follows young Feng’s struggle to gain her mother’s love and an equitable position among her older siblings and in her community.

The narrative traces some of the Chinese customs and practices at the time that reflect society’s base view of women, and the lack of acceptance of their identities.

Through the eyes of her grandmother and her mother, Feng sees the all-too-slow change in women’s place in society, and endeavours to break away from the constricting world of her female ancestors to find a better place for herself.

343 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2018

Reviews

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shirley Fung’s Second Chinese Daughter reads like an Anchee Min’s. I mean it as a compliment because Anchee Min is one of my favourite authors when it comes to stories as such. There is no major plot arch but a slow and steady one consisting of many little scenes that matter in painting the life of three generations of women. And it was a beautiful painting indeed.

I followed the first part of the book without knowing where the story was leading towards. It began with a dramatic opening, that on hindsight, was introducing the three main characters that I began to feel for throughout the 343 pages. The story flow was smooth and easy to follow.

Fung’s simple yet poetic words described the life of how one woman’s life shapes the other that comes after her, and the other that comes after her child and the generation after. The subtle influence is something that makes me reflect on the women that came before me in my family. And I’m reminded of my grandma – she’s the one who taught and shaped my life principles and identity.

Blended with a good dose of Chinese customs and practices, this book makes a good read for both life reflection and cultural knowledge. I think this is one book that Malaysian women of all ages would be able to identify with, and one that Malaysians should read.

[Alyssa J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

❝I can't single-handedly change what has been happening to women for generations.❞

Disclaimer: This review copy was provided by MPH Publishing in return for an honest review.

Second Chinese Daughter is a sweeping tale that follows three generations of women as they uphold society’s demands of them as women while still finding and holding on to their identity.

Shirley Fung has crafted tale that reads like a memoir, with prose that gently and sometimes unexpectedly tugs at the heartstrings and other times igniting rage - because the best books always do.

The book has three parts: each told from the perspective of one woman from each generation.

We start with Ah Soo: sold, bought, discarded, and abused by different men who promised her a home until she’s finally taken in by Lee as his de facto wife.

Li Li: the daughter Ah Soo could never have and reluctantly adopts to fulfill her role as a devoted wife to Lee. Bright and stubborn, dreams of bigger things but is confined to her father’s office as admin staff and stuck with a good-for-nothing husband.

Feng: the granddaughter given away and then taken back by Lee because of a prophecy, neglected by the mother who never wanted to keep her. Curious, outspoken and bright like her mother, Feng works to go beyond what her mother and grandmother have settled with.

Overall a great and enjoyable read, my main issue with the book is that it promised a look at the evolution of a women’s place in society from the eyes of Feng, but her story seemed to focus mostly on her growing up and family ties. It would have been a lot more powerful, I think, if Feng’s part had skipped forward a few years and have her compare the life she enjoys to that of her mother and grandmother. Because of this, the ending lacked a strong punch to it.

Besides that and the few mistakes that managed to evade the editing stage, I highly recommend Second Chinese Daughter. It has echoes of Pachinko and Everything I Never Told You , stabbing me in the feels at any unexpected moment with quietly powerful sentences.

[Hazel Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Wild Swans' was my first insight into lost opportunities due to political change and war impacting on Asian women and their families and the roles they were expected to fulfil. But 'Second Chinese Daughter' is even more powerfully written about a three generational Chinese family in Malaya. A well crafted and significant book of resourceful women who have lived through challenging times. Evocative of the historical periods, especially the Japanese occupation. But also a hopeful book of strength and survival. Compassionately written, with respect for others' stories. Shirley Fung is a significant writer. Highly recommended.

[Baljit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book. It had great potential but the writing was simplistic and the tale just meandered without any accents or exciting episodes. I gather the writer is writing about her myself as the second Chinese daughter who feels neglected within her large family.
She may have just written it as a memoir, because as a work of fiction it was rather dull n lacked prosec

[Mabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of 3 generations of women pre-war, during and post-war is as accurate as possible. However, as captivating as it was, I couldn't help but wonder if the story for the 2nd and 3rd generation would be a little bit longer and more elaborate as compared to the 1st generation. After completing the book, I felt that the author could have put in more details towards the 2nd and 3rd generation as to not leave the stories hanging neither here nor there.

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could rate this book A “0” I would. Amateurish and poorly written are the best words to describe the work. I picked it up quickly on a business trip and hated that I only had this to read on the plane. The book gets worse as it goes on.

[Lyndel Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly moving story of three generations of women grappling with the social, family and political events of their time, beautifully rendered by Fung's elegant prose.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 1.5/5 stars
Almost DNF-ed it. It's a fluent but uneventful read with its no-nonsense narrative. And, where is the climax?

[jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

relatable 💀

[Beverly C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Don't let being a woman disqualify you from aiming for and achieving greatness."

It's like a snippets of these women's lives back in the days when women are deemed worthless because they will not carry the family name.

This book kinda shows the evolution of women, shows that we are not as weak and as helpless and generations before us. We can and will do whatever we want, be it getting a tertiary education, scoring a managerial positions, etc.

Quite an easy read, and unputdownable!