The Jade Widow in Aussie Readers

Aug 14, 2013 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-are, netgalley-reviews, aussie-author, provided-by-publisher

A loose sequel to Mr Chen's Emporium, author Deborah O'Brien revisits the small Australian town of Millbrooke in The Jade Widow.

As I found the historical thread of the story in Mr Chen's Emporium more interesting than the modern day plot, I was happy to discover this novel is set entirely in 1885. It has been twelve years since Charles's tragic death and Mr Chen's Emporium continues to thrive in Millbrooke under the stewardship of his widow, Amy Chen. With her son nearing twelve, Amy has turned ...more

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Sep 16, 2013 Bree T rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, historical-fiction, cultural, history, issues, aww2013

Twelve years after the death of her husband Charles Chen, Amy Chen is still wearing black, still in mourning just like Queen Victoria mourning her husband Albert. It is 1885 and Amy is raising her son Charlie and spending time with her late husband’s foster family, the Millers.

She also has a project. Inspired, she wants to build the grandest hotel in country New South Wales and she’s going ahead with her dream. She has purchased the land and hired someone to draw up her perfect plans. Even thoug Twelve years after the death of her husband Charles Chen, Amy Chen is still wearing black, still in mourning just like Queen Victoria mourning her husband Albert. It is 1885 and Amy is raising her son Charlie and spending time with her late husband’s foster family, the Millers.

She also has a project. Inspired, she wants to build the grandest hotel in country New South Wales and she’s going ahead with her dream. She has purchased the land and hired someone to draw up her perfect plans. Even though she needs some help from the bank, John Miller provides guarantor for her on a loan, because as a woman, Amy can’t get a loan in her own name. But the Millers have faith in her and they know that whatever she turns her hand to, it will be a success. John Miller is a progressive thinker – his acceptance of his own daughter’s dream is proof positive of that.

Eliza Miller wants to be a doctor. Although a university in NSW is taking its first female medical student, Eliza cannot join her as she has not yet completed a year of an arts degree, a pre-requisite. Forced out of the country, Eliza has completed her first few years of a medical degree at Sorbonne, the famous French school. Returning home for a break, she discovers that the job she thought would be hers, working as a doctor in the local community has gone to someone else – a man naturally. And to make things even worse, that man is living in her own family house as a boarder. Eliza is determined not to be friendly to him, no matter how wonderful he might be. She accepted long ago that she would never marry. She would have a career instead.

When the potential of love comes into Amy’s life with the opening of her dream imminent, she is confused. She loved Charles so much – loves him still. Is it possible to let go of that and move on with someone who seems perfect for her?

The Jade Widow picks up a little over a decade after the events of Mr Chen’s Emporium. Amy has not taken herself out of the black widow’s weeds, modelling herself somewhat on Queen Victoria, who mourned her husband for the rest of her life. She wears only black or navy blue clothes and hasn’t even looked twice at another man since she lost her beloved Charles. She dedicates her life to raising Charlie, their son, trying to turn him into the sort of gentle, non-confrontational man that her late husband would be proud of. Charlie is at the age though where he really should be sent to school in order to continue his education and also, because Amy is somewhat overprotective of him, obsessing about germs and infections. It’s a difficult decision for Amy to have to make and it’s made somewhat more difficult by the prejudices she knows that Charlie will face in a schoolyard situation because of his mixed heritage.

Amy’s “sister” Eliza is an early feminist and suffragette, wanting equality and the chance to have opportunities that the men do. She chose to go far from home in order to study and she faces discrimination there too (being referred to as a hermaphrodite). Back in Australia, women cannot vote. They lag far behind men in rights and opportunities and Eliza makes her disapproval of these things (and others, such as the fact that Australian men are sent to fight a British war in Africa) well known. I really liked the character of Eliza and her outspokenness and her determination. Her story with the new doctor in town was really enjoyable and I found myself eager for those parts of the story. The narrative alternates between Amy and Eliza as they face struggles to gain satisfaction in their professional and personal lives.

I’m the same age as Amy (31) and I can’t imagine what it was like for her to lose her husband after they had so little time together and then be left raising their child alone. I could understand her paranoia about diseases and about losing Charlie – he was all she had left of her husband and their time together and how difficult it was for her to accept that it’s time for her to let him go. She can’t protect and shelter him from the world forever. Her relationship with Charles cost her dearly. Her father cast her out, forbidding all other family members to speak to her. Amy gets a chance at happiness in this novel, at a new beginning, at starting again. She’s still pretty much a young woman. 31 in those days isn’t exactly what it is now but it’s still young. She’d have had many opportunities for expanding her family. The way in which this played out left me feeling…deflated. Amy is a very interesting character, she’s very focused and she clearly has placed her late husband on a pedestal, heights that no other person can ever dream to achieve which is unrealistic. No one is perfect. People have their flaws and no one should ever be held up and judged against another person. I know this is a study of life in late 1800′s Australia, not a romance novel but still. I couldn’t help feeling a bit sad when I finished the book.

However, despite the ending not being my preference, I really enjoyed the rest of the book. I haven’t read a lot of novels set in Australia around this time and this book gives a skilled picture of what life must’ve been like for ambitious young women who want to succeed. ...more

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Jun 04, 2013 Kathryn rated it really liked it

Shelves: australian-authors, 4-stars, released-2013

I really enjoyed this book. At first I was annoyed that I hadn't read the first, Mr Chen's Emporium, but it seems like that book swaps between the present day and the late-1800's (thus explaining events before this book) - but then this book sits just in the late-1800's with events after this book being described in the first one (when things are found out in the present day)! That sounds confusing, but suffice to say that I think reading the first book second is just as valid as reading them th I really enjoyed this book. At first I was annoyed that I hadn't read the first, Mr Chen's Emporium, but it seems like that book swaps between the present day and the late-1800's (thus explaining events before this book) - but then this book sits just in the late-1800's with events after this book being described in the first one (when things are found out in the present day)! That sounds confusing, but suffice to say that I think reading the first book second is just as valid as reading them the other way around! I can't wait to find out what happened to the characters in this book now, so will have to read the first to find out!

I enjoyed the theme of strong women and gender prejudice - both the main characters aren't married and support themselves (or intend to - one is a medical student - a very difficult time for female doctors!) and have to deal with the conventional view of the time that women should be in the house, making a home and having babies.

I liked the quote on the back of my copy of the book - "There were times when Amy was drawn to the topsy-turvy world that Eliza espoused, where women were able to vote and Australia was one nation. Then again, it might be like falling down Alice's rabbit hole to a place where chaos reigned." We certainly have those things now, and while we live in a world where it does seem at times that chaos reigns, I can't see that it's related to those two happenings!!! And certainly Australia is a better place for women now than it was 130 years ago. And, despite my reading, I can't imagine how I would have coped had I lived at that time...

I also like how the theme of racial prejudice is explored, with one of the main characters, a Caucasian woman, having been married to a Chinese man (deceased by the time of this story) and their little boy and some of the issues they face in challenging the conventions of the time.

I also liked howDeborah O'Brien incorporated real historical figures into her fictional narrative (obviously with a little artistic licence used!) and the synopsis at the end of these real life figures. ...more

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Aug 29, 2013 Lia rated it really liked it

Shelves: available-cnl, from-jeni-rundle

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