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Sweet Mandarin: The Courageous True Story of Three Generations of Chinese Women and Their Journey from East to West
by Helen Tse

Published: 2008-07-08
Hardcover : 288 pages
9 members reading this now
3 clubs reading this now
2 members have read this book

Spanning almost a hundred years, this rich and evocative memoir recounts the lives of three generations of remarkable Chinese women.

Their extraordinary journey takes us from the brutal poverty of village life in mainland China, to newly prosperous 1930s Hong Kong and finally to the UK. ...

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Introduction

Spanning almost a hundred years, this rich and evocative memoir recounts the lives of three generations of remarkable Chinese women.

Their extraordinary journey takes us from the brutal poverty of village life in mainland China, to newly prosperous 1930s Hong Kong and finally to the UK. Their lives were as dramatic as the times they lived through.

A love of food and a talent for cooking pulled each generation through the most devastating of upheavals. Helen Tse's grandmother, Lily Kwok, was forced to work as an amah after the violent murder of her father. Crossing the ocean from Hong Kong in the 1950s, Lily honed her famous chicken curry recipe. Eventually she opened one of Manchester's earliest Chinese restaurants where her daughter, Mabel, worked from the tender age of nine. But gambling and the Triads were pervasive in the Chinese immigrant community, and tragically they lost the restaurant. It was up to author Helen and her sisters, the third generation of these exceptional women, to re-establish their grandmother's dream. The legacy lived on when the sisters opened their award-winning restaurant Sweet Mandarin in 2004.

Sweet Mandarin shows how the most important inheritance is wisdom, and how recipes--passed down the female line--can be the most valuable heirloom.

Editorial Review

No editorial review at this time.

Excerpt

January 1812
The harsh clang of the meetinghouse bell shattered the peace of the night. At the sound, Gabrielle jerked upright in her narrow bed. She had not been asleep but instead had been lying very still with her eyes wide open, staring out at the grainy darkness and listening to the soft breathing of the sleeping girls around her. She had matched her own breaths with theirs in hopes of bringing quiet harmony back to her thoughts, but the gift of knowing kept nipping at the corners of her mind. Visions of men with blackened faces, corn melting, and shadows of the world flitting among the trees had troubled her thoughts all day, but it was all too vague for understanding. All she knew for sure was the sense of dread awake and growing inside her. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Throughout Sweet Mandarin, the story of the old man and the mountains being levelled reemerges.
Why is this story used and how is it relevant to Helen and her family?
2. Discuss Sweet Mandarin reviewing the main literary elements of the book: the setting, plot,
characters and central conflict.
3. Discuss the Chinese tradition and Chinese origins from which this book came. Which part of
China does Lily originate from and why did the family move to Hong Kong? What Chinese
traditions does Tai Po continue in Hong Kong and why?
4. Describe a social or political change that may have resulted from this book. If no actual change
can be documented, discuss whether the book resulted in a heightened awareness of a particular
issue.
5. Are the characters compelling? Do they have a conflict to resolve? How is it resolved?
6. What can you learn about a culture at a particular time by reading a book with a social message?
7. Describe two movies that carry social messages. What are the messages? Were they successful
as movies? Why or why not?

Notes From the Author to the Bookclub

1. Throughout Sweet Mandarin, the story of the old man and the mountains being levelled reemerges.

Why is this story used and how is it relevant to Helen and her family?

2. Discuss Sweet Mandarin reviewing the main literary elements of the book: the setting, plot,

characters and central conflict.

3. Discuss the Chinese tradition and Chinese origins from which this book came. Which part of

China does Lily originate from and why did the family move to Hong Kong? What Chinese

traditions does Tai Po continue in Hong Kong and why?

4. Describe a social or political change that may have resulted from this book. If no actual change

can be documented, discuss whether the book resulted in a heightened awareness of a particular

issue.

5. Are the characters compelling? Do they have a conflict to resolve? How is it resolved?

6. What can you learn about a culture at a particular time by reading a book with a social message?

7. Describe two movies that carry social messages. What are the messages? Were they successful

as movies? Why or why not?

Book Club Recommendations

Member Reviews

Overall rating:
 
 
  "An amazing read - ladies you will love this book"by Katherine O. (see profile) 06/16/08


This book is a 5 star book.

For Tse, looking ahead to her future meant taking a step back into family history. In 2004, Tse and her two sisters all abandoned promising professional care


... (read more)

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