Amy S. Kwei

Kirkus review for Under the Red Moon: A Chinese Family in diaspora

Kirkus Review: “Kwei chronicles a Chinese family through exile, homecoming and Maoism in this historical novel.”
The three sisters of the Huang clan disperse during WWII. Golden Bell attends Syracuse University. Silver Bell attends a nearby American high school. Coral Bell, the youngest, remains in Shanghai, along with her mother, a concubine. The expat sisters return to China. Golden bell weds an industrial tycoon. Silver Bell marries an unscrupulous philanderer and mysterious manipulator. Coral Bell becomes a communist Red Guard. The three stories are intercut and eventually converge during the cultural revolution. Set in Shanghai, Hong Kong and New York between 1945 and 1968, the novel takes readers on a journey from the Nanking Massacre and Korean War to the Great Leap forward, English colonial rule in Hong Kong, and immigration to America. The silk thread that binds the story is the solidarity of these three strong, complex female characters that guide their family during their heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting struggle. A powerful saga of love and survival.
"A sequel of sorts to A Concubine for the Family, this novel further analyzes China’s shifts in the 20th century through the lens of one family. The writing is frequently striking ... the trials of the family are compelling and, at times, heart wrenching and leaves the reader with a new perception of the forces that shaped modern China. An absorbing exploration of mid-20th-century China through the story of a fractured family”

A wonderful review from Sidney, Australia for Under the Red Moon: A Chinese Family in Diaspora!

Amy Kwei’s sequel novel to ‘A Concubine for the Family’ is a masterful blend of family narrative and post-World War II Chinese history. Between the moving first chapters and the dramatic final ones the reader is led on a revelatory journey of young romance, hope for the future, terrible tribulations, stoic endurance in spite of enormous odds and a final rescue of most of the characters.

The dramatic history of family and country is accomplished by some heart-stopping writing and competent use of simile, for example, ‘the distant hills undulated like a mythical dragon racing alongside the train’ (page 227) and ‘like oil boiling inside a cauldron her emotions surfaced as if the suffering were alive within her again’ (page 335). I invite readers to find for themselves other examples of Amy Kwei’s fine writing; there are too many for me to list.
I found the blend of insights obtained from both the Confucian and the Christian traditions heart-warming and loved the inclusion of the enigmatic, therefore thought-provoking, poetry of Tu Fu. These quotes provide a sharp contrast to the platitudes of Chairman Mao which also feature in the novel.
It is a coincidence that I am writing this review in Sydney (Australia) during the celebrations of the Chinese New Year. The Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Town Hall are illuminated and fireworks adorn the sky. In a local paper I find the recipe for ‘Beggar’s Chicken’, the favourite dish of one of the characters in this novel. I read with interest that the chicken is cooked whole because this represents abundance and completeness. As in her previous novel the author’s interest in food and a love of cooking is apparent.
In the context of tasty, nourishing food I took note of the vivid descriptions of composting in Wei Village chapters. As a keen gardener and composter myself I know its value in the production of home-grown vegetables. In the particular cases being described the enriched soil provided nourishment which no doubt saved lives.
Once again I congratulate Ms Kwei on a great read.