What do you think?
Rate this book
Pao
SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD
I was just a boy when I come to Jamaica. Kingston, 1938. Fourteen-year-old Yang Pao steps off the ship from China with his mother and brother, after his father has died fighting for the revolution. They are to live with Zhang, the 'godfather' of Chinatown, who mesmerises Pao with stories of glorious Chinese socialism on one hand, and the reality of his protection business on the other. When Pao takes over the family's affairs he becomes a powerful man. He sets his sights on marrying well, but when Gloria Campbell, a black prostitute, comes to him for help he is drawn to her beauty and strength. They begin a relationship that continues even after Pao marries Fay Wong, the 'acceptable' but headstrong daughter of a wealthy Chinese merchant. As the political violence escalates in the 1960s the lines between Pao's socialist ideals and private ambitions become blurred. Jamaica is transforming, the tides of change are rising, and the one-time boss of Chinatown finds himself cast adrift. Richly imagined and utterly captivating, Pao is a dazzling tale of race, class and colour, love and ambition, and a country at a historical crossroads.
I was just a boy when I come to Jamaica. Kingston, 1938. Fourteen-year-old Yang Pao steps off the ship from China with his mother and brother, after his father has died fighting for the revolution. They are to live with Zhang, the 'godfather' of Chinatown, who mesmerises Pao with stories of glorious Chinese socialism on one hand, and the reality of his protection business on the other. When Pao takes over the family's affairs he becomes a powerful man. He sets his sights on marrying well, but when Gloria Campbell, a black prostitute, comes to him for help he is drawn to her beauty and strength. They begin a relationship that continues even after Pao marries Fay Wong, the 'acceptable' but headstrong daughter of a wealthy Chinese merchant. As the political violence escalates in the 1960s the lines between Pao's socialist ideals and private ambitions become blurred. Jamaica is transforming, the tides of change are rising, and the one-time boss of Chinatown finds himself cast adrift. Richly imagined and utterly captivating, Pao is a dazzling tale of race, class and colour, love and ambition, and a country at a historical crossroads.
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
50 people are currently reading
1632 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Young
21 books57 followersKerry Young was born in Kingston, Jamaica, to a Chinese father and mother of mixed Chinese-African heritage. She came to England at the age of ten. Kerry’s background is in youth work where she worked both locally and nationally, and has also written extensively. She has Master’s degrees in organisation development and creative writing, and a PhD in youth work. Kerry Young is a Buddhist in the tradition of Vietnamese Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh. Her interests include Tai Chi, weight lifting and golf. She also loves jazz and plays alto and tenor saxophone.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
July 15, 2017
This is my first novel by Kerry Young; it is set in Jamaica from the 1940s to the 1990s. One thing that attracted me to it was that it is not a stand-alone. Young intends to write a novel about each of the three main characters, looking at the same events in three different ways. Young was born in Jamaica; her father was Chinese and her mother of African and Chinese heritage.
The novel is written in the first person which can make the reader very favourable towards Pao. Pao arrives in Jamaica in 1938 at the age of 12 following the death of his father and lives with his uncle Zhang, who is a boss in Chinatown. Pao learns from his uncle and gradually takes over from his uncle. The business varies from the entirely legitimate to the downright illegal and includes protection and generally managing the Chinese community, bribing the police and a variety of other things. The whole feel is paternal and Pao sees himself as a good member of the community.
Pao develops a relationship with Gloria, a prostitute whose brothel he protects, but he has to make a proper marriage within the community. He marries Fay Wong, from a respectable family. He has two children with Fay and one with Gloria.
The backdrop to the whole novel is Jamaica and Jamaican history. Through the war years and the end of colonial rule to the unrest of the 1960s with Cuba as a backdrop, Manley’s election and loss of power and closer ties with the US. The novel covers a lot of ground including Pao’s gradual loss of influence.
Pao laces his narrative with quotes from Sun Tzu and is an engaging and plausible narrator, even when he rapes his wife. The Sun Tzu quotes focus on how to get victory without direct conflict and the struggles of a minority community trying to survive. So Pao appears honourable and dishonourable, but appears to pretty much justify everything, even forcing himself on his wife:
“..she must have got pregnant when I force myself on her. Not that Fay was ever willing as such but that time it was bad. I don't know what came over me.”
There certainly appears to be a redemptive theme, but then I expect the novels from Gloria’s and Fay’s point of view with throw a different light. For Zhang and Pao the real enemy is British imperialism and its effects, which are marked even after independence. There are moral complexities here which are well handled and the reader sees through Pao and his petty criminality whilst understanding the difficulties of a minority community
The novel is written in the first person which can make the reader very favourable towards Pao. Pao arrives in Jamaica in 1938 at the age of 12 following the death of his father and lives with his uncle Zhang, who is a boss in Chinatown. Pao learns from his uncle and gradually takes over from his uncle. The business varies from the entirely legitimate to the downright illegal and includes protection and generally managing the Chinese community, bribing the police and a variety of other things. The whole feel is paternal and Pao sees himself as a good member of the community.
Pao develops a relationship with Gloria, a prostitute whose brothel he protects, but he has to make a proper marriage within the community. He marries Fay Wong, from a respectable family. He has two children with Fay and one with Gloria.
The backdrop to the whole novel is Jamaica and Jamaican history. Through the war years and the end of colonial rule to the unrest of the 1960s with Cuba as a backdrop, Manley’s election and loss of power and closer ties with the US. The novel covers a lot of ground including Pao’s gradual loss of influence.
Pao laces his narrative with quotes from Sun Tzu and is an engaging and plausible narrator, even when he rapes his wife. The Sun Tzu quotes focus on how to get victory without direct conflict and the struggles of a minority community trying to survive. So Pao appears honourable and dishonourable, but appears to pretty much justify everything, even forcing himself on his wife:
“..she must have got pregnant when I force myself on her. Not that Fay was ever willing as such but that time it was bad. I don't know what came over me.”
There certainly appears to be a redemptive theme, but then I expect the novels from Gloria’s and Fay’s point of view with throw a different light. For Zhang and Pao the real enemy is British imperialism and its effects, which are marked even after independence. There are moral complexities here which are well handled and the reader sees through Pao and his petty criminality whilst understanding the difficulties of a minority community
July 17, 2018
I went to the library recently and when I visit I always try to get 1-2 Caribbean/West Indian Books, the Librarian suggested "Pao" by Kerry Young.
Set in Jamaica in the 1940s, we meet Pao who is fleeting the civil war in China. He lands in Kingston and starts working for his fathers' friend who is the "Don" of Chinatown. Pao learns as much as he can and starts taking over the business. While I loved the social commentary of what was happening in Jamaica between 1940s-1980s, I wished we learned more about Pao's history, more on the Chinese community in Jamaica at that time etc.
Let it be know, Kerry Young did her research, I got a thorough history lesson on Jamaica and I appreciated that, I just wanted more.
Set in Jamaica in the 1940s, we meet Pao who is fleeting the civil war in China. He lands in Kingston and starts working for his fathers' friend who is the "Don" of Chinatown. Pao learns as much as he can and starts taking over the business. While I loved the social commentary of what was happening in Jamaica between 1940s-1980s, I wished we learned more about Pao's history, more on the Chinese community in Jamaica at that time etc.
Let it be know, Kerry Young did her research, I got a thorough history lesson on Jamaica and I appreciated that, I just wanted more.
December 24, 2023
2017 Jamaica Challenge #2: The Jamaican Coat of Arms is............
Out of Many, One People.
A wonderful novel. At first, I was a bit hesitant to read this book because many overseas Chinese writers tend to romanticize their Chinese background. Pao is the name of a young Chinese lad, who arrived in Jamaica with his mother and brother in the early-mid 20th century. Jamaica was still a British colony and Pao is tried to settle down in his new home. It's an immigrant story that I don't hear too often about, a Chinese in Jamaica.
After the first few chapters, the story improved immensely. It's not just about the life of Pao. Through his eyes, we get to see and learn about the political and economic developments in Jamaica. Especially the economic developments (or lack of) were interesting because Pao worked for a powerful Chinese businessman in Kingston's Chinatown and was engaged in some not so legal activities with the US navy. He witnessed the changes in Jamaica from pre-independence to the violent 80s and beyond.
The entire novel is peppered with quotes from Sun Tzu's The Art of War that helped Pao with his relationships, whether it was with women, business partners, relatives, friends, police, and of course his enemies too. I loved that the author decided to write this novel in Jamaican patois.
I'm very pleased with this book and feel that the author did her research well and provided accurate information about the Chinese community in Jamaica. She didn't romanticize anything, instead she included the fact that this community is shrinking, in particular because many Chinese Jamaicans left the island when the violence escalated in the 80s. Therefore, Kerry Young wrote a really remarkable work about a community that is no longer what it was. Pao's perspective on life and Jamaica was very unique. I had to laugh so much when he said that the Chinese people are good at most things, except music. Leave the music to the Jamaicans. Overall, a very nice book to include to my year of reading Jamaican books.
Out of Many, One People.
A wonderful novel. At first, I was a bit hesitant to read this book because many overseas Chinese writers tend to romanticize their Chinese background. Pao is the name of a young Chinese lad, who arrived in Jamaica with his mother and brother in the early-mid 20th century. Jamaica was still a British colony and Pao is tried to settle down in his new home. It's an immigrant story that I don't hear too often about, a Chinese in Jamaica.
After the first few chapters, the story improved immensely. It's not just about the life of Pao. Through his eyes, we get to see and learn about the political and economic developments in Jamaica. Especially the economic developments (or lack of) were interesting because Pao worked for a powerful Chinese businessman in Kingston's Chinatown and was engaged in some not so legal activities with the US navy. He witnessed the changes in Jamaica from pre-independence to the violent 80s and beyond.
The entire novel is peppered with quotes from Sun Tzu's The Art of War that helped Pao with his relationships, whether it was with women, business partners, relatives, friends, police, and of course his enemies too. I loved that the author decided to write this novel in Jamaican patois.
I'm very pleased with this book and feel that the author did her research well and provided accurate information about the Chinese community in Jamaica. She didn't romanticize anything, instead she included the fact that this community is shrinking, in particular because many Chinese Jamaicans left the island when the violence escalated in the 80s. Therefore, Kerry Young wrote a really remarkable work about a community that is no longer what it was. Pao's perspective on life and Jamaica was very unique. I had to laugh so much when he said that the Chinese people are good at most things, except music. Leave the music to the Jamaicans. Overall, a very nice book to include to my year of reading Jamaican books.
October 19, 2011
Title: One Out of Many
Pao by Kerry Young introduces Yang Pao, a 14 year-old who is beginning life anew in Jamaica with his mother and brother. It is 1938 and Pao’s father has died fighting in the Chinese Civil War. Their benefactor is the father’s best friend Zhang, the godfather of Kingston’s Chinatown. Zhang, who never married, has a place in his organization for the family, but it is Pao who seems to have the knack for the small-time rackets and protection services, and fills the void in Zhang’s personal life. But, Jamaica at this time is not without strife while still a British Colony, the people are becoming vocal over better working conditions, and self-government, and trying to determine what is their identity as Jamaicans. As the years pass, and the conflict grows, battles between keeping the status quo or moving ahead with changes will not only affect the country but personal lives. Pao will be tested many times over the years to prove where his loyalties lie and as often with compromise all sides lose.
Pao is an engaging novel that looks at the timeframe in Jamaican history not often told, from the pre-independence days of the 1930s to the independence in the 1960s to the political and economic unrest in the 1980s. With ease and captivating storytelling, the author takes us into the Jamaican Chinese world informing the reader of the vibrant community through the lives of the characters. Each chapter heading is a snippet from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, and while you would think this would be helpful in Pao’s business practices, it is in his personal life that he employs the strategic advice. Pao is torn between his love for Gloria, a black Jamaican, and his need to earn respectability within the Chinese community and to honor Zhang. So Pao marries Fay, the privileged daughter of a wealthy Chinese businessman and his black wife, but she is repelled by his hoodlum life style. Gloria is now insulted that she is not good enough, but it is through her eyes that Pao gets his lessons on race, class and identity. Pao likes to think of himself as a gangster with a heart, and does do many deeds outside of the law because it is the right thing to do. But then heroism is in the eyes of the beholder and many will not see him as a hero.
Ms. Young provides some historical background about the political events happening in Jamaica as after all it is the political climate which allows for the tolerance of gangs and their retribution of justice or in many cases injustice. I would have liked a little more detail into the political events and the characters that were important to Pao, but with that said, the structure does not take away from the enjoyment of the story. And in total all of the elements add to the freshness of this storyline. The pacing is brisk in this story driven by murder, corruption, blackmail, greed and incest. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a different view, and those who enjoy learning about Caribbean history.
Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO Literary Book Review
Pao by Kerry Young introduces Yang Pao, a 14 year-old who is beginning life anew in Jamaica with his mother and brother. It is 1938 and Pao’s father has died fighting in the Chinese Civil War. Their benefactor is the father’s best friend Zhang, the godfather of Kingston’s Chinatown. Zhang, who never married, has a place in his organization for the family, but it is Pao who seems to have the knack for the small-time rackets and protection services, and fills the void in Zhang’s personal life. But, Jamaica at this time is not without strife while still a British Colony, the people are becoming vocal over better working conditions, and self-government, and trying to determine what is their identity as Jamaicans. As the years pass, and the conflict grows, battles between keeping the status quo or moving ahead with changes will not only affect the country but personal lives. Pao will be tested many times over the years to prove where his loyalties lie and as often with compromise all sides lose.
Pao is an engaging novel that looks at the timeframe in Jamaican history not often told, from the pre-independence days of the 1930s to the independence in the 1960s to the political and economic unrest in the 1980s. With ease and captivating storytelling, the author takes us into the Jamaican Chinese world informing the reader of the vibrant community through the lives of the characters. Each chapter heading is a snippet from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, and while you would think this would be helpful in Pao’s business practices, it is in his personal life that he employs the strategic advice. Pao is torn between his love for Gloria, a black Jamaican, and his need to earn respectability within the Chinese community and to honor Zhang. So Pao marries Fay, the privileged daughter of a wealthy Chinese businessman and his black wife, but she is repelled by his hoodlum life style. Gloria is now insulted that she is not good enough, but it is through her eyes that Pao gets his lessons on race, class and identity. Pao likes to think of himself as a gangster with a heart, and does do many deeds outside of the law because it is the right thing to do. But then heroism is in the eyes of the beholder and many will not see him as a hero.
Ms. Young provides some historical background about the political events happening in Jamaica as after all it is the political climate which allows for the tolerance of gangs and their retribution of justice or in many cases injustice. I would have liked a little more detail into the political events and the characters that were important to Pao, but with that said, the structure does not take away from the enjoyment of the story. And in total all of the elements add to the freshness of this storyline. The pacing is brisk in this story driven by murder, corruption, blackmail, greed and incest. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a different view, and those who enjoy learning about Caribbean history.
Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO Literary Book Review
July 10, 2016
His father murdered in China, 14-year-old Pao and his mother escape to Jamaica in 1938. They live with a mysterious, elderly man, Zhang, who'd migrated to the island nation three decades earlier. Zhang is the benevolent overlord of Kingston's Chinatown, and he soon begins grooming Pao as his successor. When the younger man takes up with a black prostitute a few years later, Zhang disapproves, urging Pao to forget about her and settle down with a Chinese wife.
Pao, who narrates the novel, takes half his advice, marrying Fay Wong, the elegant daughter of a rich Chinese businessman and his black wife. But he doesn't give Gloria, the prostitute, up. Neither woman is too pleased with the arrangement, but Pao manages to organize his life such that they never meet. He seems to genuinely care for both.
This is a good place to mention that the author, Kerry Young, is herself Jamaican, the daughter of a Chinese father and a mother of mixed Chinese and black background. The novel, Young's first, would seem to be heavily autobiographical. Pao may well be at least somewhat based on her own father, and it is Pao's character--he's a kind man, quick to forgive and to help out--that is the book's biggest strength and biggest weakness.
He narrates the stories of his less-than-licit livelihood and crazy love and family life with an endearing, dry wit. The tales are situated against the political and social events unfolding in Jamaica. The patois-inflected prose is a delight (deepened by listening to the novel on audio, read by the author).
As much as I enjoyed reading about this gentle hoodlum's near-random acts of kindness, Pao's character, ultimately, was incoherent to me, certain of his kindnesses unbelievable. He immediately forgives--and then deepens his friendship with--a man after it's confirmed that the man has long had the hots for Pao's wife; that simply stretches credulity.
But the most glaring flaw is that the two incidents of Pao violently abusing his wife are not treated seriously enough in the novel. Too many husbands raped and knocked their wives around back in the day, most everywhere. (And still do, of course, to this day.) But I feel that a novel published in the second decade of the 21st century needs to do a better job of problematizing such violence, however far back in history it is set. Pao does narrate these disturbing scenes with a certain degree of regret, and he does experience some negative consequences as a result of his actions. But there was something uncomfortably strange about how split off these incidents were from the rest of the story, the rest of the life of an otherwise incredibly sweet man. Again, Pao's character does not cohere.
My final criticism is that, while the novel concerns multicultural Kingston, there were not enough references for me to realize the ethnicity of some pretty important minor characters until well into the story. Sure, on the one hand, it shouldn't matter, I guess, but with the ethnic mix--and ethnic tensions--being so central to the story, the racial background of each character should have been made much clearer.
So, there, that's quite a lot of criticism to heap on a novel I graded as four out of five stars. In spite of the failings, I was really entertained by the story and enjoyed the writing. It brought Kingston and its multicultural communities alive for me. I would read more by Kerry Young, and hope that her more mature fiction might be less sugar-coated, its heartfelt more hard-won.
Trigger warning: one extended scene of spousal rape, and another of spousal assault
Pao, who narrates the novel, takes half his advice, marrying Fay Wong, the elegant daughter of a rich Chinese businessman and his black wife. But he doesn't give Gloria, the prostitute, up. Neither woman is too pleased with the arrangement, but Pao manages to organize his life such that they never meet. He seems to genuinely care for both.
This is a good place to mention that the author, Kerry Young, is herself Jamaican, the daughter of a Chinese father and a mother of mixed Chinese and black background. The novel, Young's first, would seem to be heavily autobiographical. Pao may well be at least somewhat based on her own father, and it is Pao's character--he's a kind man, quick to forgive and to help out--that is the book's biggest strength and biggest weakness.
He narrates the stories of his less-than-licit livelihood and crazy love and family life with an endearing, dry wit. The tales are situated against the political and social events unfolding in Jamaica. The patois-inflected prose is a delight (deepened by listening to the novel on audio, read by the author).
As much as I enjoyed reading about this gentle hoodlum's near-random acts of kindness, Pao's character, ultimately, was incoherent to me, certain of his kindnesses unbelievable. He immediately forgives--and then deepens his friendship with--a man after it's confirmed that the man has long had the hots for Pao's wife; that simply stretches credulity.
But the most glaring flaw is that the two incidents of Pao violently abusing his wife are not treated seriously enough in the novel. Too many husbands raped and knocked their wives around back in the day, most everywhere. (And still do, of course, to this day.) But I feel that a novel published in the second decade of the 21st century needs to do a better job of problematizing such violence, however far back in history it is set. Pao does narrate these disturbing scenes with a certain degree of regret, and he does experience some negative consequences as a result of his actions. But there was something uncomfortably strange about how split off these incidents were from the rest of the story, the rest of the life of an otherwise incredibly sweet man. Again, Pao's character does not cohere.
My final criticism is that, while the novel concerns multicultural Kingston, there were not enough references for me to realize the ethnicity of some pretty important minor characters until well into the story. Sure, on the one hand, it shouldn't matter, I guess, but with the ethnic mix--and ethnic tensions--being so central to the story, the racial background of each character should have been made much clearer.
So, there, that's quite a lot of criticism to heap on a novel I graded as four out of five stars. In spite of the failings, I was really entertained by the story and enjoyed the writing. It brought Kingston and its multicultural communities alive for me. I would read more by Kerry Young, and hope that her more mature fiction might be less sugar-coated, its heartfelt more hard-won.
Trigger warning: one extended scene of spousal rape, and another of spousal assault
February 26, 2012
Pao is the February Bookophilia book club pick and so this read was more of an assignment instead of a fun read. However since it was a book I had planned on reading I wasn't annoyed that it was getting in the way of my regularly scheduled reading.
Despite my early anticipation I ended up being very disappointed in the book. The exciting story I expected wasn't as much of a story as I was expecting. Instead it was biographical in nature but set in a real life context and based on true experiences. Apart from the very beginning the novel chronicles Pao's life from his arrival in Kingston, Jamaica and continues until he is much older and is a grandfather.
The story told was believable and I think Young did a good job with her research. Her use of dialect was a good attempt I think but it made the writing somewhat stilted instead of allowing it to flow as well as it could have.
There were many minor characters who were not always mentioned throughout the novel which made it slightly difficult to keep track of who everyone was when at some point down the line their character popped up again.
Pao isn't a bad book but it didn't tell the story I expected to hear.
Despite my early anticipation I ended up being very disappointed in the book. The exciting story I expected wasn't as much of a story as I was expecting. Instead it was biographical in nature but set in a real life context and based on true experiences. Apart from the very beginning the novel chronicles Pao's life from his arrival in Kingston, Jamaica and continues until he is much older and is a grandfather.
The story told was believable and I think Young did a good job with her research. Her use of dialect was a good attempt I think but it made the writing somewhat stilted instead of allowing it to flow as well as it could have.
There were many minor characters who were not always mentioned throughout the novel which made it slightly difficult to keep track of who everyone was when at some point down the line their character popped up again.
Pao isn't a bad book but it didn't tell the story I expected to hear.
August 28, 2025
Esta historia es un absorbente retrato de Jamaica, contado con la voz entrañable de Pao, un protagonista contradictorio y fascinante: duro y tierno a la vez pragmático pero profundamente humano.
Tres razones poderosas para leerlo:
1. Descubrirás la historia poco contada de la diáspora china en Jamaica y su relación con las tensiones sociales y raciales del Caribe.
2. Conocerás a Pao, un personaje tan contradictorio como fascinante.
3. Recorrerás la transformación de Jamaica: del colonialismo a la independencia, entre luchas políticas y sueños de futuro.
Además, Pao es la primera entrega de una trilogía, seguida de Gloria (2013) y Show Me the Mountain (2016). Aunque las dos últimas aún no están traducidas al español, ¡seguro las leeré en inglés porque me quedé con ganas de seguir en este universo literario!
Aunque es ficción, la novela nos deja dos cuestionamientos profundos:
¿Es válido hacer cosas moralmente cuestionables si con ellas protegemos a quienes amamos?
¿Qué significa pertenecer a una cultura cuando nunca eres visto como “parte de ella”?
Te invito a descubrirlo leyendo a Pao
Tres razones poderosas para leerlo:
1. Descubrirás la historia poco contada de la diáspora china en Jamaica y su relación con las tensiones sociales y raciales del Caribe.
2. Conocerás a Pao, un personaje tan contradictorio como fascinante.
3. Recorrerás la transformación de Jamaica: del colonialismo a la independencia, entre luchas políticas y sueños de futuro.
Además, Pao es la primera entrega de una trilogía, seguida de Gloria (2013) y Show Me the Mountain (2016). Aunque las dos últimas aún no están traducidas al español, ¡seguro las leeré en inglés porque me quedé con ganas de seguir en este universo literario!
Aunque es ficción, la novela nos deja dos cuestionamientos profundos:
¿Es válido hacer cosas moralmente cuestionables si con ellas protegemos a quienes amamos?
¿Qué significa pertenecer a una cultura cuando nunca eres visto como “parte de ella”?
Te invito a descubrirlo leyendo a Pao
August 10, 2016
I picked this book up after reading the back cover and thinking it might be interesting to read. It was, but it also fell kind of flat. While a lot of times I say that books could be made shorter, this one could have benefited from more length.
I say that it could be longer, and then realize that with the first-person voice this wouldn't really work well. While the voice (A jamaican infused chinese-english accent?) was a good attempt at throwing one into the book, it also made it hard to follow at times.
At no time did I ever feel like Young did an amazing job at describing the setting. She was short and simple on this, and yes, again the first-person narrative makes this hard to do, but the book may have been more interesting and seductive had she managed to include this.
Pao's life story was interesting, but again, conflicts were not really illustrated as well as I think they could have been. Time skipped frequently and you didn't even pay notice because there was nothing to really mark it. His relationships with others wasn't that descriptive either. It was kind of dull and this could have been delved into deeper. I think it could have been much more interesting. I liked that Young started to do more of this at the end, and maybe that was part of her plan all along, but because of it, it was a bit dry most of the way.
The politics, the surroundings, etc. Also dry. I definitely think this was a good base for everything but that Young could really benefit from a little more depth to everything. I felt like her point was to show how connected people get to Jamaica, but that she barely even touched that idea by leaving out so much detail. Again, I think first-person narrative is really hard to pull off, and this one maybe missed the mark by a bit.
Worth a read though, a novel sort of idea, and interesting enough.
I say that it could be longer, and then realize that with the first-person voice this wouldn't really work well. While the voice (A jamaican infused chinese-english accent?) was a good attempt at throwing one into the book, it also made it hard to follow at times.
At no time did I ever feel like Young did an amazing job at describing the setting. She was short and simple on this, and yes, again the first-person narrative makes this hard to do, but the book may have been more interesting and seductive had she managed to include this.
Pao's life story was interesting, but again, conflicts were not really illustrated as well as I think they could have been. Time skipped frequently and you didn't even pay notice because there was nothing to really mark it. His relationships with others wasn't that descriptive either. It was kind of dull and this could have been delved into deeper. I think it could have been much more interesting. I liked that Young started to do more of this at the end, and maybe that was part of her plan all along, but because of it, it was a bit dry most of the way.
The politics, the surroundings, etc. Also dry. I definitely think this was a good base for everything but that Young could really benefit from a little more depth to everything. I felt like her point was to show how connected people get to Jamaica, but that she barely even touched that idea by leaving out so much detail. Again, I think first-person narrative is really hard to pull off, and this one maybe missed the mark by a bit.
Worth a read though, a novel sort of idea, and interesting enough.
December 5, 2018
Half Sino-Jamaican version of The Godfather, half sweeping family saga, a cracking good "airport novel" of the kind you buy by the pound to tide you over a long transatlantic flight. It held my attention from start to finish, to the place I put other books on hold until I was done with it. The "big surprise" was terribly predictable, in fact I'd been predicting it from about Chapter 10, but in any case it was a good read. There are so many female leads written by male authors that this was not a bad reversal of the trend.
Pao sees himself as manipulating people and events like Sun Tzu, whose Art of War he quotes constantly. It takes him a lifetime to realise he is the one being manipulated...by himself.
Pao sees himself as manipulating people and events like Sun Tzu, whose Art of War he quotes constantly. It takes him a lifetime to realise he is the one being manipulated...by himself.
July 9, 2022
Loved this so much couldn’t put it down!! Made me weep way too much though !!
February 8, 2018
The latest book for the Goodreads group reading Jamaican literature, Kerry Young's Pao narrates the life of a Chinese immigrant to Jamaica who rises to become the boss of the Chinatown underworld and later inherits a legitimate business empire from his wealthy father-in-law. The novel is obviously well-researched, and apparently based partly on the author's father who was also a figure in the Chinese underworld in Jamaica; like Pao's daughter Mui, Kerry Young went to London at the age of ten, so her knowledge of Jamaica is based on visits and reading (the novel contains a bibliography of sources -- including the 23rd edition of the Gleaner history which I reviewed a couple months ago!) The descriptions of Jamaican politics are knowledgeable and probably correct as far as they go -- mostly generalities about imperialism, neocolonialism and the need for unity among ethnic groups; although from a literary point of view it is somewhat disconcerting to find such political insight attributed to a character of that background and the political passages sometimes seem added on. The chapter titles are based on ideas from Sun Tzu's Art of War, which is also quoted frequently as a guide to the character's actions.
The book was well-written for a first novel, was relatively fast-paced and kept my interest. It begins with Pao's relationship to Gloria, an East Kingston prostitute, and his marriage to Fay Wong, the daughter of a rich merchant; his relationships to these two women and the children he has by both are a main thread throughout the book. It then turns back to his arrival in Jamaica and childhood, and traces his history forward until the first birthday of his and Gloria's granddaughter and the imminent return of his and Fay's daughter Mui from London. There are a large number of secondary characters, people that he helps or has conflicts with in his capacity as gang-boss and "protector" of Chinatown; while not always well-developed they are all easily distinguishable and generally seem realistic. His role in the community seems somewhat idealized for what he does.
I will next be reading her second novel Gloria, which is based on the character from this novel.
The book was well-written for a first novel, was relatively fast-paced and kept my interest. It begins with Pao's relationship to Gloria, an East Kingston prostitute, and his marriage to Fay Wong, the daughter of a rich merchant; his relationships to these two women and the children he has by both are a main thread throughout the book. It then turns back to his arrival in Jamaica and childhood, and traces his history forward until the first birthday of his and Gloria's granddaughter and the imminent return of his and Fay's daughter Mui from London. There are a large number of secondary characters, people that he helps or has conflicts with in his capacity as gang-boss and "protector" of Chinatown; while not always well-developed they are all easily distinguishable and generally seem realistic. His role in the community seems somewhat idealized for what he does.
I will next be reading her second novel Gloria, which is based on the character from this novel.
March 16, 2020
Oh wow, this book was incredible. So far it is my favorite read in 2020. It was a fantastic book to start my reading journey for the year. I couldn't wait to pick it up each day to find out what was happening to the characters. Pao was a complex character and despite some of his illegal transgressions, I found myself rooting for him. The author provided an enjoyable story but laid out the complexities so it was not easy to dislike Pao.
I found it refreshing reading the Jamaican Patois in this book. I found myself laughing out loud in the scenes where Pao is bantering with his friends. I feel like the author did a fantastic job capturing the male perspectives in this story. And I am so impressed with how she wrapped this story with Jamaican history and context so the reader is educated and encouraged to pause and reflect on the history and how it was impacted by slavery. I like how she illuminated the class as well as the cultural struggles. I could not put this book down and can't wait to read her other books. I highly recommend this book.
I found it refreshing reading the Jamaican Patois in this book. I found myself laughing out loud in the scenes where Pao is bantering with his friends. I feel like the author did a fantastic job capturing the male perspectives in this story. And I am so impressed with how she wrapped this story with Jamaican history and context so the reader is educated and encouraged to pause and reflect on the history and how it was impacted by slavery. I like how she illuminated the class as well as the cultural struggles. I could not put this book down and can't wait to read her other books. I highly recommend this book.
January 6, 2012
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I like historical fiction and as a Jamaican this book provided some clarification of some of the political issues that were happening before I was born. This book discussed race, culture, identity, wealth etc. An awesome knowledge with great tie in with the art of war. well done kerry young!
April 12, 2022
I didn't particularly enjoy this book. The chronological writing style was incredibly dull and I didn't feel empathy for any of the characters. The background history of Jamaica however was interesting. In the hands of a better writer, this might have been a good book.
May 4, 2021
"Marriage is not for celebrating. It is something you do to give your children a name."
Kerry Young's "Pao" is a coming of age story that spins a new perspective on West Indian literature, however, fails to deliver on its fantastic premises. I've recently read that there is intended to be two other books in this series, with one called "Gloria" already available. I might get around to checking these out, but I'm not sure if I would want to in all honesty.
To begin, the novel follows young Pao arriving in Kingston in 1938. Of Chinese descent, Pao lives with his uncle Zhang on the island. Under Zhang's watch, Pao is groomed to become a boss within Chinatown. This premises sounds cool, right? That's because it is. The first 100 pages gripped me, and watching Pao's duality become more and more present was interesting as hell. Pao doesn't exactly have clean hands, his business varies from perfectly above board to sometimes being actual felonies. If we put this into the backdrop, there is a compelling romance story between Pao and Gloria, a prostitute who's brothel is a part of his racket. *TW, this book has some disturbing stuff in, and Pao doesn't come away as a very likeable protagonist, but I wouldn't claim that as a criticism.
What really irked me was the narrative flow. The overarching antagonist remains British Imperialism, which is fine, but it means jumping from chapter to chapter there is often little to no direction. Often it will be someone asking Pao to do something for them and then him either doing it or not doing it. Even in the first half, this remains present, but it becomes a downright pain as the novel winds up.
The key strength remains how the characters are presented. Pao, Gloria, Fay, Zhang and the rest are all written true to life. Flawed individuals making the most of the cards they have been dealt. I also read somewhere that every chapter's title is a reference to Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" which also grants it bonus points.
Young's research is spot on and there is such a rich interesting tale to be unpacked here. But I ain't gonna be the one to do that. A decent read, and one that I can't particularly recommend unless you're looking for a new stance on West Indian literature.
Kerry Young's "Pao" is a coming of age story that spins a new perspective on West Indian literature, however, fails to deliver on its fantastic premises. I've recently read that there is intended to be two other books in this series, with one called "Gloria" already available. I might get around to checking these out, but I'm not sure if I would want to in all honesty.
To begin, the novel follows young Pao arriving in Kingston in 1938. Of Chinese descent, Pao lives with his uncle Zhang on the island. Under Zhang's watch, Pao is groomed to become a boss within Chinatown. This premises sounds cool, right? That's because it is. The first 100 pages gripped me, and watching Pao's duality become more and more present was interesting as hell. Pao doesn't exactly have clean hands, his business varies from perfectly above board to sometimes being actual felonies. If we put this into the backdrop, there is a compelling romance story between Pao and Gloria, a prostitute who's brothel is a part of his racket. *TW, this book has some disturbing stuff in, and Pao doesn't come away as a very likeable protagonist, but I wouldn't claim that as a criticism.
What really irked me was the narrative flow. The overarching antagonist remains British Imperialism, which is fine, but it means jumping from chapter to chapter there is often little to no direction. Often it will be someone asking Pao to do something for them and then him either doing it or not doing it. Even in the first half, this remains present, but it becomes a downright pain as the novel winds up.
The key strength remains how the characters are presented. Pao, Gloria, Fay, Zhang and the rest are all written true to life. Flawed individuals making the most of the cards they have been dealt. I also read somewhere that every chapter's title is a reference to Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" which also grants it bonus points.
Young's research is spot on and there is such a rich interesting tale to be unpacked here. But I ain't gonna be the one to do that. A decent read, and one that I can't particularly recommend unless you're looking for a new stance on West Indian literature.
May 23, 2023
Pao has probably been one of my favorite books so far this year. I discovered it because it was referenced in the notes of Black Cake, so it's Jamaican.
Young does an incredible job with the complexity of Pao. He is a character who I love but who is also questionable because of his fuck ups. He fights for a 12 year old pregnant girl but has very little respect for his wife. He is a communist but also a gangster who has so much cash, he quietly funnels it back into church projects to help the poor and progressive politics. He black mails the police chief by holding his sexuality against him, later he saves a young, Jamaican lesbian from jail time.
I think my favorite part of this book is how it captures Jamaica's history from post-ww2, through Independence, to the 80s. It's a commentary on race, class, gender, sexuality and colonialism in Jamaica specific context. I almost wish I had read this during college, it would have fit into my Latin American studies perfectly.
Young does an incredible job with the complexity of Pao. He is a character who I love but who is also questionable because of his fuck ups. He fights for a 12 year old pregnant girl but has very little respect for his wife. He is a communist but also a gangster who has so much cash, he quietly funnels it back into church projects to help the poor and progressive politics. He black mails the police chief by holding his sexuality against him, later he saves a young, Jamaican lesbian from jail time.
I think my favorite part of this book is how it captures Jamaica's history from post-ww2, through Independence, to the 80s. It's a commentary on race, class, gender, sexuality and colonialism in Jamaica specific context. I almost wish I had read this during college, it would have fit into my Latin American studies perfectly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2020
Really interesting multicultural, historical book. I really learned a lot about other cultures post world war 2. The characters were so well developed. Only issue I had were the jumps in time weren't very clear.
November 4, 2020
I've loved catching up with this story each night. Narrator a bit flat to start with but all the stories compelling and woven in with history/politics, fond of all the characters and their flaws by the end of it.
May 6, 2020
3.75**
June 18, 2022
I loved learning more about Jamaica, Britain, and China’s intertwining histories. It is evident that the topic historical context was heavily researched by the author. The history of Jamaica’s struggle for independence captivated me, and the author reminds the reader how modern-day
Imperialism exists under the guise of foreign aid. The history component of the novel enthralled me, but the plot left me wanting more. There are two other books in this series, each told from the told the perspective of the 2 women in Pao’s life, which would offer an enlightening insight to the actions of the characters. Maybe reading those would help me connect with the characters and the plot.
Imperialism exists under the guise of foreign aid. The history component of the novel enthralled me, but the plot left me wanting more. There are two other books in this series, each told from the told the perspective of the 2 women in Pao’s life, which would offer an enlightening insight to the actions of the characters. Maybe reading those would help me connect with the characters and the plot.
June 30, 2025
Best audiobook I've listened to in awhile
March 9, 2024
"Marriage is not for celebrating. It is something you do to give your children a name”
I was oddly captivated by this book. Honestly, from reading all the synopses of the books this semester, not that this one didn't sound good, but others just held my interest more. But despite the fact it basically follows one man in the ordinary events of his life, this was so compulsively readable that I could not put it down.
It follows Pao from a young age when his "Uncle" Zhang sends for him from China and raises him in Jamaica to basically become the next mob boss. The author did a very clever thing where she started it right when he meets Gloria, who at the start of the novel is a Black sex worker looking for his protection, and then how he goes on to marry Fay Wong. Then it takes us back for a couple of chapters to his first weeks in Jamaica, and his life progresses from there. Just putting that first chapter out of chronological order really intrigues the reader and pulls them in.
Much of this novel, aptly, was about inheritance, and what it means to pass down not only your name, but your love, you livelihood. Just as Pao is becoming the mob boss of the neighborhood, he is also contending with what it means to have his own children, two from his wife Fay and one outside the marriage with Gloria. By the end of the novel, he has regrets about his life. He mourns both the life that he could have had with Gloria had he not rushed into a class alliance with Fay, and also the happiness that he could have had with Fay and his children had he treated them better. By the end, everyone except perhaps Fay is very forgiving of all that he has done, and I found this perhaps a bit convenient, but it also made real the time span of this book, that time has passed.
That is another thing that was peculiar about this book. Because it follows Pao's whole life, time passes and jumps in odd leaps and bounds. I found some of these transitions to be smooth, but other times I would be temporarily confused when things happened, such as the fact of Pao's relationship with Father Kealey. That developed into a nice thing, but at the start it was rocky because he was really trying to get Fay's "alliance" to his side. Once the children were born, they were a useful marker of time passed with how old they were.
This book was also very political. The passing of time is also marked by shifting elections and imperialism/socialism/capitalism. I appreciate all of the time and research that must have gone into this on Kerry Young's part, and it well paid off. A large part of this was the development Pao's political consciousness too, and I won't pretend like I understood all of that especially not knowing much about Jamaican history before this, but it was interesting to see how his views evolved with the changing times, and also based on what was going on in his life. I usually don't include quotes mid review, but I thought this particular quote was quite potent about the role of imperialism permeating even after Jamaica gained independence, a metaphor Merleen makes comparing her rape by an English armyman to the rape of Jamaica by the English:
"I felt so honored. Foolish, wasn't it?" And then she laugh again.
"It wasn't foolish. Yu was a child. He was a grown man."
"A grown man who came here and capture something young and innocent, something in its infancy, and he took what he wanted from it and when he was done he left us to fend for ourselves, John and me. Independence if you like."
There are also obviously racial dimensions to this book. In the beginning, part of the reason that Pao refuses to marry Gloria and instead Fay is because the former is poor Black and the latter is wealthy and "light-skinned." He also thinks differently about what being a Jamaican means compared to others. He laments more than once that Black people in Jamaica must find it "easier" that they fit into common narrative of the country, while Pao as a Chinese man feels always on the outskirts. Often movements for racial justice and upward mobility come from themes of Africa and Black power, but that has Pao feeling like an outsider even if he wants the same things. It was an interesting perspective to read from because I hadn't quite considered it from that angle either.
The way that queerness in this novel was represented was also interesting. We talked about in class how sometimes academia can brand the whole of the Carribbean as violently homophobic, or that because it is not talked about that queerness must not exist there, but there were several queer characters in this novel, not all of them morally upright, but there was Sargent Clifton Brown and there was also the lesbian relationship between Helena and Margy. I love that Young fleshed them out as whole characters with multiple concerns rather than just branding them as the "gay ones" despite the fact that none of these are even main characters. They are allowed take up as much space as all the other characters are.
There were some things that were all too convenient that I enjoyed nonetheless. Like the fact that the person Margy was being intimate with in the car happened to be Helena, who happened to be the daughter of the army man who raped Merleen, or even that Helena happened to work in the same place as Mui in order to make her life miserable so that Pao could fix it. Or even the cropping up of "Sam-" so clearly meant to be "Uncle Sam" as in America btw- just when the narrative needed it to wrap up the story line with Meechum. But these were all acceptable, as it is a fictional narrative after all. If you are noticing these coincidences maybe they have become too much, but I do admit they benefitted the story telling.
I also think following only Pao as the narrator was interesting, because we have to examine to what extent he is reliable. It is so easy to fall into his perspective and agree with everything he thinks and believes because the world of the story is being shaped through his eyes, but then there are jarring moments where you suddenly remember that he not so virtuous. Like when on only half a page, he admits to a violence scene of sexual assault on his wife, Fay, that results in their second child. Or even subtler moments, such as when Ethyl is scared to talk to him when she has more information about Fay and the kids' abscondment to England. It's such a logical process from Pao's point of view, from stepping off the boat to amassing more and more power, and he hardly deals with the down and dirty himself like gun smuggling so we hardly see it, but he is truly a mob boss. No matter how much he may care for the community he protects, and I truly believe that he does like with helping Merleen when she falls pregnant at 12 after sexual assault, or helping Margy escape after her lesbian lover murders teen onlookers. Still, you must not forget that he is a force.
That's why it's so funny that Kerry Young wrote two more whole novels about this time period, one from Gloria's perspective and one from Fay's. I have to admit, when I first saw that before I read the novel, I kind of scoffed, like why do you think this story is so important that you need to tell it three separate ways, but I actually would be interested in reading at least some of the other novels, if not all of it. Maybe Gloria more than Fay because I do admit I had more sympathy for her in this novel, but I d0 think that is also a convention of seeing everything from Pao's point of view. Pao's relationship was frosty with her at the best of times, and then when she takes the kids away with her to England she's seen as the absolute enemy, if he forgives her in time. So yes, reading from both of these perspectives I do think would definitely enrich my understanding of this novel.
I was oddly captivated by this book. Honestly, from reading all the synopses of the books this semester, not that this one didn't sound good, but others just held my interest more. But despite the fact it basically follows one man in the ordinary events of his life, this was so compulsively readable that I could not put it down.
It follows Pao from a young age when his "Uncle" Zhang sends for him from China and raises him in Jamaica to basically become the next mob boss. The author did a very clever thing where she started it right when he meets Gloria, who at the start of the novel is a Black sex worker looking for his protection, and then how he goes on to marry Fay Wong. Then it takes us back for a couple of chapters to his first weeks in Jamaica, and his life progresses from there. Just putting that first chapter out of chronological order really intrigues the reader and pulls them in.
Much of this novel, aptly, was about inheritance, and what it means to pass down not only your name, but your love, you livelihood. Just as Pao is becoming the mob boss of the neighborhood, he is also contending with what it means to have his own children, two from his wife Fay and one outside the marriage with Gloria. By the end of the novel, he has regrets about his life. He mourns both the life that he could have had with Gloria had he not rushed into a class alliance with Fay, and also the happiness that he could have had with Fay and his children had he treated them better. By the end, everyone except perhaps Fay is very forgiving of all that he has done, and I found this perhaps a bit convenient, but it also made real the time span of this book, that time has passed.
That is another thing that was peculiar about this book. Because it follows Pao's whole life, time passes and jumps in odd leaps and bounds. I found some of these transitions to be smooth, but other times I would be temporarily confused when things happened, such as the fact of Pao's relationship with Father Kealey. That developed into a nice thing, but at the start it was rocky because he was really trying to get Fay's "alliance" to his side. Once the children were born, they were a useful marker of time passed with how old they were.
This book was also very political. The passing of time is also marked by shifting elections and imperialism/socialism/capitalism. I appreciate all of the time and research that must have gone into this on Kerry Young's part, and it well paid off. A large part of this was the development Pao's political consciousness too, and I won't pretend like I understood all of that especially not knowing much about Jamaican history before this, but it was interesting to see how his views evolved with the changing times, and also based on what was going on in his life. I usually don't include quotes mid review, but I thought this particular quote was quite potent about the role of imperialism permeating even after Jamaica gained independence, a metaphor Merleen makes comparing her rape by an English armyman to the rape of Jamaica by the English:
"I felt so honored. Foolish, wasn't it?" And then she laugh again.
"It wasn't foolish. Yu was a child. He was a grown man."
"A grown man who came here and capture something young and innocent, something in its infancy, and he took what he wanted from it and when he was done he left us to fend for ourselves, John and me. Independence if you like."
There are also obviously racial dimensions to this book. In the beginning, part of the reason that Pao refuses to marry Gloria and instead Fay is because the former is poor Black and the latter is wealthy and "light-skinned." He also thinks differently about what being a Jamaican means compared to others. He laments more than once that Black people in Jamaica must find it "easier" that they fit into common narrative of the country, while Pao as a Chinese man feels always on the outskirts. Often movements for racial justice and upward mobility come from themes of Africa and Black power, but that has Pao feeling like an outsider even if he wants the same things. It was an interesting perspective to read from because I hadn't quite considered it from that angle either.
The way that queerness in this novel was represented was also interesting. We talked about in class how sometimes academia can brand the whole of the Carribbean as violently homophobic, or that because it is not talked about that queerness must not exist there, but there were several queer characters in this novel, not all of them morally upright, but there was Sargent Clifton Brown and there was also the lesbian relationship between Helena and Margy. I love that Young fleshed them out as whole characters with multiple concerns rather than just branding them as the "gay ones" despite the fact that none of these are even main characters. They are allowed take up as much space as all the other characters are.
There were some things that were all too convenient that I enjoyed nonetheless. Like the fact that the person Margy was being intimate with in the car happened to be Helena, who happened to be the daughter of the army man who raped Merleen, or even that Helena happened to work in the same place as Mui in order to make her life miserable so that Pao could fix it. Or even the cropping up of "Sam-" so clearly meant to be "Uncle Sam" as in America btw- just when the narrative needed it to wrap up the story line with Meechum. But these were all acceptable, as it is a fictional narrative after all. If you are noticing these coincidences maybe they have become too much, but I do admit they benefitted the story telling.
I also think following only Pao as the narrator was interesting, because we have to examine to what extent he is reliable. It is so easy to fall into his perspective and agree with everything he thinks and believes because the world of the story is being shaped through his eyes, but then there are jarring moments where you suddenly remember that he not so virtuous. Like when on only half a page, he admits to a violence scene of sexual assault on his wife, Fay, that results in their second child. Or even subtler moments, such as when Ethyl is scared to talk to him when she has more information about Fay and the kids' abscondment to England. It's such a logical process from Pao's point of view, from stepping off the boat to amassing more and more power, and he hardly deals with the down and dirty himself like gun smuggling so we hardly see it, but he is truly a mob boss. No matter how much he may care for the community he protects, and I truly believe that he does like with helping Merleen when she falls pregnant at 12 after sexual assault, or helping Margy escape after her lesbian lover murders teen onlookers. Still, you must not forget that he is a force.
That's why it's so funny that Kerry Young wrote two more whole novels about this time period, one from Gloria's perspective and one from Fay's. I have to admit, when I first saw that before I read the novel, I kind of scoffed, like why do you think this story is so important that you need to tell it three separate ways, but I actually would be interested in reading at least some of the other novels, if not all of it. Maybe Gloria more than Fay because I do admit I had more sympathy for her in this novel, but I d0 think that is also a convention of seeing everything from Pao's point of view. Pao's relationship was frosty with her at the best of times, and then when she takes the kids away with her to England she's seen as the absolute enemy, if he forgives her in time. So yes, reading from both of these perspectives I do think would definitely enrich my understanding of this novel.
May 7, 2014
The eponymous Pao is only a small boy when he and his family emigrate from China to Jamaica in the wake of the Chinese Civil War and just prior to the outbreak of World War II. After settling into the Chinatown area of Kingston, Pao grows up in its shadowy underworld and eventually becomes the civic-minded leader of its organized crime, doing business and protecting the Chinese minority in the city. Using Sun Tzu's The Art of War as his conscience and guide, Pao's influence waxes and wanes against the backdrop of Jamaican politics, ranging from post-Colonial rule to Rastafarianism, from the Back-to-Africa movement to socialism.
I've long been a reader of books of Caribbeana, particularly the fiction of the region, but this book gave me a wholly fresh perspective amidst the black African diaspora, white colonialism, and Indian subcultures that I've read before. Race and class necessarily play a large role in this book, and while I wouldn't venture to say that Pao is a feminist, his dealings with women are largely well-balanced and even occasionally progressive for a man who is a product of his time and culture.
To wit: Although Pao moves to Jamaica in 1938, the book opens in media res in 1945 when Pao is beginning to earn his reputation as the go-to guy in Chinatown. A black Jamaican woman named Gloria comes to Pao to demand the justice that the law won't give her when a white sailor beats her sister almost to death. Pao's brother urges him to drop the matter because the sister is a whore and, thus, should expect to get beaten up a bit from time to time, and further, that "white men been beating Jamaican women for three hundred years." After much consideration, Pao's replies, "That is true, but this is the first time anybody come ask us to do something 'bout it." Thus marks the real beginning of Pao's unofficial career.
While I didn't always like Pao, he is one of the most fascinating characters I've encountered in a long time, and seeing his trajectory from young boy to old man made for a satisfying read. I'd recommend this book for readers interested in social stratification (class, gender, race), interesting character studies, or Jamaican politics.
I've long been a reader of books of Caribbeana, particularly the fiction of the region, but this book gave me a wholly fresh perspective amidst the black African diaspora, white colonialism, and Indian subcultures that I've read before. Race and class necessarily play a large role in this book, and while I wouldn't venture to say that Pao is a feminist, his dealings with women are largely well-balanced and even occasionally progressive for a man who is a product of his time and culture.
To wit: Although Pao moves to Jamaica in 1938, the book opens in media res in 1945 when Pao is beginning to earn his reputation as the go-to guy in Chinatown. A black Jamaican woman named Gloria comes to Pao to demand the justice that the law won't give her when a white sailor beats her sister almost to death. Pao's brother urges him to drop the matter because the sister is a whore and, thus, should expect to get beaten up a bit from time to time, and further, that "white men been beating Jamaican women for three hundred years." After much consideration, Pao's replies, "That is true, but this is the first time anybody come ask us to do something 'bout it." Thus marks the real beginning of Pao's unofficial career.
While I didn't always like Pao, he is one of the most fascinating characters I've encountered in a long time, and seeing his trajectory from young boy to old man made for a satisfying read. I'd recommend this book for readers interested in social stratification (class, gender, race), interesting character studies, or Jamaican politics.
August 19, 2021
Kerry Young has written three novels from the perspective of three different characters, namely Pao, his wife and his lover. I had read the novel from his lover’s point of view, ‘Gloria’ a few years ago, and had wanted to read ‘Pao’ ever since. It has fulfilled, if not exceeded my expectations. Told from the point of view of a Chinese man who came to Jamaica as a boy it is a novel intertwined with the history and politics of Jamaica, and the country's relationship to the UK. There is no preaching or accusing, the complexity of the political situation being the background of the lives the characters live. The characters' relationships across the books are at the heart of the story. Some years ago I attended a reading event with the author, and the language came to life. The story is told well, and the Jamaican Creole lets the characters speak for themselves. They live through turbulent and violent times. The main character is anything but a standard ‘good’ person, but a complex person full of contradictory traits who makes some wrong decisions which he is able to reflect upon later. There is a more positive ending which leaves the reader with hope, but not a traditional ‘happy ever after’. You could say that Kerry Young uses some traditional building blocks of novels but uniquely transforms them. She creates a new form of novel in what she calls ‘true Taoist style’. The relationship between the privileged white people and the Chinese, Indian and Black communities of Jamaica is part of this story.
July 26, 2012
Pao is the story of the life of Yang Poa from the time that he emigrates to Jamaica as a 14 year old boy in 1938 until 1980’s The backdrop is the political history of Jamaica and his part in Chinatowns criminal underworld. The story focuses on his relationship with his mistress a black prostitute and his wife who is the daughter of a Chinese merchant. I did feel there were some insightful observations concerning Jamaica’s political history but sometimes felt the author’s gentle style of writing was a little out of step with the other subject matters. I was a disappointed with this book because the story did just seem to amble along and just scratched the surface of the aforementioned relationships as well as his life in the changing face of the Jamaican criminal underworld. This book could have been a real blockbuster had all the above elements been explored in depth. Although I consider the book a great idea wasted it was an OK read.
October 30, 2011
I got this book from the Early Reviewers, and it was a great read. Very interesting as it showed Jamaica from the perspective of a Chinese immigrant. I found Pao an intriguing choice for the narrator. A teenager when the book begins, he immigrates to Jamaica in 1940s to join his uncle who works there as a ‘protector’ of the Chinese community. As the years go by, he himself slides into the role of a mostly benevolent and wise Godfather, maybe not entirely the Corleone but comparable in scale for a small island. We accompany him through ups and downs of his life and many events of Jamaican history. He may be a bit too good for the life he leads and the role he plays, but he works quite well for the most part.
I quite liked the style of the book – it was written mostly in spoken Chinese English. I think it added to the feel of the authenticity of Pao’s experience.
I quite liked the style of the book – it was written mostly in spoken Chinese English. I think it added to the feel of the authenticity of Pao’s experience.
January 31, 2015
I was put off at first by the fact that this book is written in a kind of half Chinese, half Jamaican vernacular. I know, when I have read books like it before, eventually you get used to the style but I did struggle with this one throughout. The story is told by Pao, who comes from China to Jamaica as a youth in the 1940s. He grows up to become lead the 'protection' service of everyone in Kingston's Chinatown, but also of others including the brothel where his long time lover, Gloria, runs her business. Pao marries Fay Wong, daughter of a wealthy family, and the relationship is a disaster, not least because of Gloria but also because of the vast difference in Pao's and Fay's upbringing. The history of Jamaica in this novel is fascinating - something I had no idea about - and the story was compelling enough to keep me reading, despite my difficulty with the language.
January 2, 2016
I would give this a 4.5 and I can imagine this being a book I think about for a while after it is done and I might adjust it to a 5.
This was a multi layered book about love, revolution, history, family, race, freedom, politics, and life in general.
A Chinese immigrant growing up in Jamaica running the show in Kingston's Chinatown with a heart of gold.
It is nearly impossible to not like the main character Pao. He is memorable and one of my favorite new characters in a while.
I couldn't put this down. I brought it to work with me and read a few pages here and there on any breaks I had. I can usually separate myself from a book long enough to go to work without reading breaks, but I couldn't leave the story for too long.
A well told, well written story that I am so happy I read.
This was a multi layered book about love, revolution, history, family, race, freedom, politics, and life in general.
A Chinese immigrant growing up in Jamaica running the show in Kingston's Chinatown with a heart of gold.
It is nearly impossible to not like the main character Pao. He is memorable and one of my favorite new characters in a while.
I couldn't put this down. I brought it to work with me and read a few pages here and there on any breaks I had. I can usually separate myself from a book long enough to go to work without reading breaks, but I couldn't leave the story for too long.
A well told, well written story that I am so happy I read.
September 24, 2023
Extraordinary tale of a Jamaican Chinese man’s life in Kingston. It speaks of colonialism, race, class in an authentic, insightful manner through the eyes and experiences of Pau and his circle. As a Kingstonian of Chinese descent, I was amazed at how well Kerry Young captures the culture, the language and the social nuances while weaving a deeply compelling and compassionate story. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in decades.
Want to read
January 4, 2012Heard Kerry Young on Woman's Hour yesterday and thought it sounded good. Chinese in the Caribbean, what could possibly go wrong?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews