If you have been following my blog for a longer while already, you might remember that Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu has made it to multiple of my seasonal TBRs. I actually got myself a copy in 2022 and meat to read it way sooner than I did. I often have a great time with historical novels, this time too?

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu
on March 15, 2022
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780316286732
Genres: Adult, Historical fiction

It is 1938 in China and, as a young wife, Meilin’s future is bright. But with the Japanese army approaching, Meilin and her four year old son, Renshu, are forced to flee their home. Relying on little but their wits and a beautifully illustrated hand scroll, filled with ancient fables that offer solace and wisdom, they must travel through a ravaged country, seeking refuge.

Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. Though his daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, 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? Yet how can Lily learn who she is if she can never know her family’s story?

Spanning continents and generations, Peach Blossom Spring is a bold and moving look at the history of modern China, told through the story of one family. It’s about the power of our past, the hope for a better future, and the haunting question: What would it mean to finally be home?

As I stated before, i often have a good time with historical fiction novels. They more often than not provide depth and I seek this in my reading material once in a while. I expected the same for Peach Blossom Spring as I assumed that it would approach history in a different way. Acoording to the blurb, it focuses more on the trauma from the past instead of being just a romance novel. I was curious for how this would work, being a multigenerational novel and all.

Because this story is told over a 70-years span, we have multiple POVs. Meilin, Renshu and Lily are our main characters in the three generations of this family. They all undergo certain character development, each in their own way. However, Renshu should be highlighted here. He grows from a toddler in 1938 to a grown man in 1960, to a father in the late 70s and to an old man in 2005. So, Fu actually covers nearly his entire live. He has endured a lot and whereas it doesn’t seem to affect him that much at first, it becomes clear soon enough that it in fact does. Once he settles down in the US, he doesn’t want to have to do anything with China and his heritage. Yes, he still correspondents with his mom Meilin, but that’s it. When his daughter Lily gets curious, he dismisses this. He never explains why, but it’s obvious that the wounds cut deep. One certain event leaves him no choice but to open up and that’s a huge growth for him. However, it’s quite rapid. I find it difficult to actually indicate these characters because of the type of book this is.

Of course, the atmosphere is pretty tense. This book starts with the Japanese occupation of China. People were grieving lost loved ones and had to flee to safety whereby they have to leave everything behind. Being a refugee is not easy, as Meilin experiences. She has a hard time to get by and feed her family, without getting help from her in-laws. The atmosphere keeps tense throughout the entire novel because later on, there was censorship. Everyone had to be on egg shells in order not to get arrested by the communist party. Furthermore, the relationship between Renshu and his family is tense because of Renshu’s traumas. There is not much room for a lighter atmosphere.

This book is written well. It’s quite complicated to write a story that spans several generations. However, I never had a har time reading this book. I was abit confused by all the names, but that’s because they are so similar. The transition between characters is clear enough as the time is clearly indicated. This book is a mix of character and plot and I think the plot part intrigued me the most. Several themes are discussed, but I couldn’t really connect to the characters. They feel quite distant to me. Despite this distance, I still wanted to know how they would deal with everything and that I was intrigued about.

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu is to be honest one of the harder books to review. I enjoyed reading it and it has been written well. The characters are written well, so is the plot. Several heavey themes are discussed which makes this book perfect iff you’re seeking some depth in your reading material.