Broken Jade

by Paul Chan

One family, two very differerent worlds. When same sex marriage is approved in Australia, Sydney lawyer Justin Wong calls home and turns his mother Madeline's world upside down. Madeline is a respected society matron and a church elder in her hometown, Tenangan. Born into poverty, she is a Malaysian success story. Meanwhile, Justin has fought his own battles as a gay Asian man to rise to the top of his profession and finally find love. When Madeline sets off on an urgent mission to save her son's soul and her family's reputation, Justin must stand up to the mother whom he had grown up idolising. In this highly entertaining yet deeply touching novel, the stories of Madeline and Justin illuminate the lives of families who must navigate vast cultural differences in order to stay together.

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2020

Reviews

[Andrei Cano · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable, heartwarming and surprisingly relatable read.

Even though I’m not Malaysian… growing up and coming out as a gay Filipino-Aussie, I thoroughly related to the sexual racism that the main character experienced in the Sydney gay scene in his younger years. I wish this book had been around when I was younger, and trying so hard to be accepted in the gay scene, and to be perfect in the eyes of the ‘white gaze’. This only formed a small aspect of the novel, but it really hit home for me.

4/5

[Ghaby Gunawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly touching. This book was so relatable for the SEA community living in Australia, the way Madeline was written has reminded me of every strong woman I know back home. The ending has brought me tears and I hope more gay SEA can read this book and have the same ending Justin has.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw Paul Chan’s Broken Jade listed by a major Australian magazine as one of the best gay books of the year, I was immediately drawn to it. As a gay man and an author myself of gay novels, I wanted to see what made this book deserve such an accolade. I can see its qualities. A tale of a son coming out to his mother, the story is gently told with very little conflict. And thus it encourages the coming out process. The book is also unique as it deals with Malaysian characters, a culture that is not always quick to accept homosexuality. So I liked that the book was filled with accepting characters. But the book itself? I was annoyed by the fact it is about two-thirds narrative, one-third dialogue. Authors are taught to “show not tell,” and yet Chan spends most of his time describing what happens to the mother rather than letting these scenes play out with interaction of characters. Why he chose to do this, I don’t know. But I do know it made for a tedious slog through the storyline—for me, at least. Chan is an accomplished writer technically. He states things elegantly, and his writing is skilled. I do wish his editor had been more diligent. The novel is filled with egregious comma errors. Commas are placed before compound verbs, hoping the sentence is a compound sentence, I guess. And yet, most are not and don’t need the comma. I present an example from close to the end of the novel, after seeing so many come before it: “By now, Mrs. Seah had stopped eating, and had put down her fork and spoon.” That comma after “eating” is misplaced and interrupts the flow of the sentence. Errors of this nature stopped my concentration. Also, there are numerous comma splices—that construction high school English teachers ranted about where two complete sentences are joined together with a comma, i.e. Chan’s “The water’s amazing, you should jump right in!” and numerous other examples. Unh-uh…that’s a no-no. I do realize, however, that I’m not a typical reader, most of whom are not bothered by grammar errors unless they totally destroy the novel. I, on the other hand, think an editor who allows such errors is doing a disservice to the author. All that being said, Broken Jade has its merits, but it lost me with its approach to the narrative and its punctuation problems.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Chan's debut novel Broken Jade is a gem to savour.

It is a thoroughly enjoyable and captivating read that has been deftly written by the author to draw you into the world of Madeline and her son Justin. Through beautiful and evocative story telling, the author takes you on a rich and vibrant journey, transporting you through the busy streets of Sydney to the tranquil conservative sleepy Malaysian town. Along with its endearing and amusing cast of characters from the formidable Asian matriarch to the loveable array of friends, Broken Jade will leave you reflecting, possibly crying and definitely laughing. One scene where Madeline unwittingly discovers the sexual proclivities of her son is priceless and had me laughing uncontrollably.

The setting of Sydney presents the perfect backdrop to showcase the diversity of modern Australian society that cleverly juxtaposes the unique experience of a minority community whose stories are not commonly heard or celebrated. Congratulations to the author for giving a voice and showcasing these stories.

Whilst many LGBTQ or culturally diverse readers will easily identify and relate to the specific socio-cultural references, this novel touches on so much more. At its heart is a beautiful and complex mother-son relationship that transcends socio-cultural expectations and barriers. The novel successfully highlights that ultimately, the most important thing in life are the relationships that shape and connect us to one another. Most importantly, after reading this – I thought of my own mother.

[HK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Chan's debut novel is a comedy of manners gem delving into the little known world of the upper middle class Chinese Malaysians who rose from humble beginnings in the 50s whose children have now themselves attained respectable white-collar professional class status in western countries they attended universities at. The vast geographical distances their offsprings have since flocked to ironically also symbolises the widening cultural gulf that afflicts both parent and adult child. In the case of Broken Jade, we are let into the life of Madeline, an indomitable Christian doyenne in a regional industrial town who spends her days with her equally wealthy "tai-tai" circle of friends brunching and yoga-ing at the local golf club. Unbeknownst to her, Justin her favourite youngest son has been in a secret relationship with a man in Sydney. A tiny church gossip sets off a turbulent wild fire of events that pit mother and son in a battle that quakes the foundation of her spiritual values and interrogates if her love for her child is indeed unconditional. Despite the candid and searing topics of homophobia, class envy, racism, the book is generously peppered with comedy throughout until it masterfully crescendos into a quietly moving climax leaving the reader with a striking imagery of broken jade lingering in our consciousness.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this book! It was a short, fast read, but quite well done.
The story is about a young gay Asian man (well apparently he’s in his 30s) *finally* coming out to his religious mother, who lives in a small town in Malaysia and worries constantly about her social standing.

Justin has lived in Sydney, Australia, for many years and has a successful career as a lawyer. He’s known he’s gay forever, but has always hidden it from his conservative family back in Malaysia.

However he’s finally found the man he plans to spend the rest of his life with, and doesn’t want to hide any more. He decides to tell his mother, society doyenne Madeline, first.

Her reactions and emotions are all portrayed very genuinely, as are Justin’s. The story began to captivate me, and I read the whole (short) book in just a few days.

I recommend this.

Warning for those who may “need” one - there are several rather graphic sex scenes.

[Amit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve laughed, I’ve cried and I’ve felt every emotion in between. Delicate yet strong, poised yet flustered. Intimate yet emotionally distant where it really needs to be. Justin’s family is so articulately painted piece by piece, layer upon layer. I fell in love with Paul's writing from the beginning.

I could feel the throbbing heart of Asian culture with its subtle nuances, the overtones of gay Sydney, the non-stop motherly guilt-trips, the christian hypocrisy, the racism in Sydney, oh what a page turner. A truly heartfelt story or mother and son bond and finding their own versions of truth. Madeline held court but Justin wasn't going to give up. He had learned from the best. Well done on putting such a rich tapestry of Asian Australian literature and cultural depth to the forefront.

Broke Jade is well paced, dialog filled, witty, sensual, heart felt mother-son duo.

[Aaron Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a wonderful feeling, waking early on a sunny Sunday morning with coffee to finish a book I’ve loved being immersed in for the past few days. Congratulations Paul Chan for crafting an emotional and heartfelt story of mother and son, with exquisite cultural depth, heart, intimacy and humour. It’s an important and special book because it speaks earnestly to the diversity of Australian experiences, exploring our regional connection through genuine moments and characters that feel deeply familiar to me while providing new and vital insight into other lives, cultures and struggles.

[Belinda Carman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the fact that the Australian stories we read about now challenge our comfort zones and our sense of where we fit into this incredibly diverse nation. What this book tells us is that we have more in common than what divides us. Like Alice Pung and Benjamin Law, the author is bringing Asian-Australians to the forefront of what Australian culture is and will become. It is also a love story for the ages so for those who like a bit of romance, you won’t be disappointed.

[K L AU · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story that many can relate. A story that is beautifully captured expressing the power of a mother-child relationship despite strong cultural beliefs and personal values. It raised many valuable questions to myself as I was reading through the book.

Well done Paul Chan and thank you for sharing this wonderful story, look forward to your next publication.

[Josecarlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve just finished reading Paul Chan’s Broken jade. What a great story teller he is! I was able to empathise with his characters as they became very real to me. It was such an enjoyable read full of insight into the journey of the main character Justin. It was sad, it was funny, it was poignant, a real triumph of the spirit. Please write another book soon Paul. You must.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming tale about finding your place whilst navigating through conflicting ideas of what it means to preserve cultural, social and familial expectations. Broken Jade left me laughing, feeling awkward and brought a smile to my face.

[Gerwin Widjaja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken Jade took me back to memory lane. I could relate to so many of its details: the characters, places, and experiences. So nice to see a coming-out story from an Asian culture's perspective out there.
PS: I could not put the book down, I finished it in one day. Congratulations to the author.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy rich asians meets the gay Asian-Australian experience - pockets of great introspection and some really poignant examples of the trials and tribulations of being Malaysian/Chinese-Australian and gay in present day Australia

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5*

I really appreciated the story and messaging here, but didn't resonate with the writing style. If you're looking for a sweet book focusing on the everyday moments for a family, this one might be for you!

[Michelle Horner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken Jade took me on a wonderful journey between two very different worlds which made me laugh and cry. A pleasure to read 😁

[Ben Andersson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page-turner. With brilliant storytelling set in Malaysia and Australia, it was the perfect book for my holiday.

[HL · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read, written with warmth, humour and some astute observations about life and cultural norms.

[Annerie Van Maarschalkerweerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Paul Chan’s novel. It took me behind the scenes of a fascinating but challenging world I knew nothing about.
Highly recommended!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book in only a few days. An enjoyable read that had brilliant moments portraying the gay Asian Australian experience. A must read for the regional queer community.

[kezia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5