Song of the Azalea: A Former Chinese Communist in British Hong Kong

by Kenneth Ore

In 1917, at the age of eight, Kenneth Ore's mother was sold to a wealthy Chinese businessman by her opium-addicted father. Rather than becoming a concubine, she was employed as a maid and educated as a doctor. She married the man's son and bore three children. When the Japanese invaded Hong Kong in 1941, her skill and bravery ensured the family's survival. Having witnessed terrible violence and suffering, the adolescent Ore joined the Chinese Communist Party, which he believed would alleviate the poverty and injustice he saw every day. It was a secret he guarded from his parents and siblings until, disillusioned with the Party, he emigrated to Canada to begin the process of rebuilding his life. Now as Hong Kong struggles to find a place in the People's Republic of China, he reflects on his clandestine life and the painful secrets he kept from his beloved mother.

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book off the shelf at the library, and didn't have high expectations, given the lack of reviews (none on the jacket, barely anything online). But this memoir turned out to be just stunning. It reminded me vaguely of Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Magan, the way the author shines the sharp, unforgiving light of memory on a culture that is both mysterious and misunderstood in the West. The reflections of a now elderly man about the secret double life he led as a Chinese Communist Party operative, it reads almost like a parable, demonstrating how noble ambitions, an overabundance of earnestness and blind faith can lead one astray. The story remains relevant today, with our modern concerns about ardent young people being radicalized by Jihadis. I learned a lot from this book, about the history of southern China and the culture of my ancestors.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great memoir. I learned a lot about communism from the author's perspective and about the costs associated with dedicating yourself to a cause. The author led a very interesting life and he definitely didn't try to sugarcoat any of it.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

自古忠孝兩難全，當然要視乎「忠」的對象值不值得效忠。不問對錯就全數執行指令，只懂「我為人人」的天真道理，妄想所謂同志會在困難時伸出援手，相信「毫不利己專門為人」是愚不可及的，作者在書末也承認。柯其毅母親在溫哥華病情惡化固然是導火線，但他多年來都沒有覺醒，到最後與煥玲對陣時還妄圖爭一點面子，不改其奴化心理。此書最重要的是暴露了黨的領導背棄了一代片面相信組織而犧牲一輩子的人，試問現在的領導怎樣面對、解釋？

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've read about Hong Kong set during WWII and the decades followng. I wrote a review of it on my website at www.susanbkason.com.