JADE PHOENIX: The New Voices in Literature Award Finalist

by Syd Goldsmith

THE NEW VOICES IN LITERATURE AWARD FINALISTA WILLIAM FAULKNER COMPETITION SEMI-FINALIST" a marvelous collage of history, politics, mystery and romance."Pat Averbach, Director, Chautauqua Writers CenterWhen Taiwanese millionaire Ko-sa Ong shows up in Washington with Jade Phoenix by his side, Nick Malter, his best friend, and his lost "Angel" would all rather be in some other country.But Taiwan is no ordinary country in the 1970s. Against all odds, Ko-sa has everything he could want except a son and a nation. Jade Phoenix has nothing after her father, a senior Nationalist general, commits suicide. Nick Malter, an American reporter, peers under the veils that cloak the Chinese and their women. Love blooms in a wilderness of misunderstanding.Ko-sa and Nick share an abiding hatred of Chiang Kai-shek and the cynical American Secretary of State who would forever deny the Taiwanese their country. They risk all for each other, but both give up everything for the love of Jade Phoenix.A stroke of the pen shatters dreams of nationhood and foreign devils challenge ancient Chinese customs in this extraordinary cross-cultural adventure. Betrayal and trust forge uncontrollable urges, fierce loyalties, and love that extends beyond life itself.

326 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Syd Goldsmith’s first novel, JADE PHOENIX, was a finalist in two major international competitions. His second explores the hearts and souls of three passionate people in TWO MUSICIANS AND THE WIFE WHO ISN’T. His op-eds on the U.S.-China-Taiwan relationship have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, the Los Angeles Times and the Asian Wall Street Journal. Some forty commentaries on the 2008 Presidential election and the American scene during the early months of the Obama administration appeared in the opinion pages of the China Post. Syd has enjoyed multiple careers as a diplomat, musician and entrepreneur on both sides of the Pacific. While in the Foreign Service he learned Mandarin, Taiwanese, Cantonese, and Spanish in addition to French, and was posted to East Asia and South America. As a leadership and strategy consultant to American and Chinese companies in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, Syd served a stint as interim CEO of a Taiwanese multinational manufacturer with 8000 employees in Taiwan, China and Thailand. Syd was trained in New York as a concert flutist and has performed in twenty countries. His lifelong passion for music leads deep into the desires of his characters in Two Musicians and The Wife Who Isn’t. Syd and his wife Hsiu-chen Chang live in Taipei with their two teenagers. They can be found in upstate New York in summertime, cavorting with writers and other fascinating people at the Chautauqua Institution.

Reviews

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a lot - it portrays the era well without beating you over the head with it, while still feeling current.

The politics involved are made easy to understand (no easy feat!) and help paint the picture of what's going on in the background and how it affects the characters' lives.

Quite enjoyable. :)

[Sam J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting period read, At once audacious, dazzling, pretentious, and at times infuriating, Syd Goldsmith's novel weaves history, suspense, humor, love ,death, and pathos. Syd's first literary work relies on a kaleidoscopic plot structure that showcases his stylistic virtuosity. I recommend it especially to anyone who spent time in Taiwan during the turbulent late 1960's through the 1970's. For those of us whom had the privilege to have lived in Taiwan during this time will enjoy this book. It is both a tragic love story and a historic look back into a very troubled time in Taiwan prior to the coming of true multi-party democracy. Vividly realistic characters from historically correct accurate personages like Chiang Kai-Shek, to fictional characters like Nick Malter and Jade Phoenix, the story takes place in actual local domestic settings with careful attention payed to Taiwanese and Chinese culture and the ramifications between the two. The Characters drive this story with unrelenting anguish and love until the very last page. What is described in the book concerning daily life, corruption, pay-offs, and the daily grind of survival is very factual,as I lived it and witnessed it. The book lends unbridled insight into the plight of the Taiwanese people and their struggle under KMT (Kuomintang) rule. I Highly recommended 'Jade Phoenix' to anyone interested in East Asian Affairs or just enjoyable good reading.

[David Frazier · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me this novel is utterly fascinating, but I will add the caveat that it may mainly be so for those who have special interests in the literature of Asia and especially modern Taiwanese history. As a multi-decade inter-cultural love story, the story is is well structured and imbued with its a strong narrative momentum, but it's great strength is the way it fleshes out Taiwan's history of this unique period. The author, Goldsmith, is a former US diplomat with 30-40 years of experience in Asia and has made sure the historical details are spot on. I read it in conjunction with a non-fiction history of the same period, Jay Taylor's The Generalissimo's Son, about Taiwan's third president Chiang Ching-kuo, detailing Taiwan's transition from post WWII martial law to economic and social liberalization of the 1980s. Jade Phoenix puts the flesh of human stories on those bones of dry fact and history. It perhaps does not rank among the "timeless literature" of other Western novels on modern Asia, such as those by Graham Greene, W. Somerset Maugham, or maybe even Ian Buruma, but there is very little good writing on modern Taiwan, and if you are looking for such a novel, this one comes highly recommended.

[Patrick Cowsill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I met Sid at the Taiwanese historian Jerome Keating's breakfast meet-up: http://michaelturton.blogspot.com/200...

He came to a party at my home and later sent me a copy of this book. The early parts of the book are best, especially focusing on country life in Tainan, Taiwan.

[Mona · Rating 4 out of 5]

met the author on a trip to Italy.
great book with lots of history of Taiwan and China.

[Josine van Heek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into Taiwanese society embedded in a romantic story.