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Dandelion
When Lily was eleven years old, her mother, Swee Hua, walked away from the family, never to be seen or heard from again. Now, as a new mother herself, Lily becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Swee Hua. She recalls the spring of 1987, growing up in a small British Columbia mining town where there were only a handful of Asian families; Lily's previously stateless father wanted them to blend seamlessly into Canadian life, while her mother, alienated and isolated, longed to return to Brunei. Years later, still affected by Swee Hua's disappearance, Lily's family is nonetheless stubbornly silent to her questioning. But eventually, an old family friend provides a clue that sends Lily to Southeast Asia to find out the truth.
Winner of the Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award from the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop, Dandelion is a beautifully written and affecting novel about motherhood, family secrets, migration, isolation, and mental illness. With clarity and care, it delves into the many ways we define home, identity, and above all, belonging.
Winner of the Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award from the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop, Dandelion is a beautifully written and affecting novel about motherhood, family secrets, migration, isolation, and mental illness. With clarity and care, it delves into the many ways we define home, identity, and above all, belonging.
336 pages, Paperback
Published April 26, 2022
162 people are currently reading
3429 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Chai Yun Liew
7 books71 followersJamie Chai Yun Liew is the recipient of the Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award from the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop. She is a lawyer and law professor specializing in immigration, refugee, and citizenship law and the creator of the podcast Migration Conversations. Dandelion is her first novel. She lives in Ottawa with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 439 reviews
May 18, 2022
It was as if they were pollen that was lifted by the wind and landed in this place when the air quieted, unplanned, unprepared, planting themselves in soil they did not choose.
heartachingly beautiful, quietly poignant, and compulsively readable: i was swept up in the story of lily and her mother and their family, and i want to reread this already.
I had to find her, even if I was not sure I could forgive her.
a lot about this book resonated deeply with me, and i found that jamie chai yun liew captured lily and her family's experiences of migration, statelessness, displacement, loneliness, community, and love with such tender ferocity.
heartachingly beautiful, quietly poignant, and compulsively readable: i was swept up in the story of lily and her mother and their family, and i want to reread this already.
I had to find her, even if I was not sure I could forgive her.
a lot about this book resonated deeply with me, and i found that jamie chai yun liew captured lily and her family's experiences of migration, statelessness, displacement, loneliness, community, and love with such tender ferocity.
February 8, 2025
Read for Canada Reads 2025
Dandelion is an emotional portrayal of a woman's coming of age as a Chinese immigrant in a small town in British Columbia.
Not being able to cope with the changes in their new life Lily's mother up and leaves. Many years later and about to become a mother herself Lily struggles with her mother's disappearance.
A story of multi-generational loss, Dandelion details the immigrant experience.
An interesting story with excellent narration.
Dandelion is an emotional portrayal of a woman's coming of age as a Chinese immigrant in a small town in British Columbia.
Not being able to cope with the changes in their new life Lily's mother up and leaves. Many years later and about to become a mother herself Lily struggles with her mother's disappearance.
A story of multi-generational loss, Dandelion details the immigrant experience.
An interesting story with excellent narration.
February 6, 2025
A compelling story massively let down by clunky, amateurish prose. The dialogue was particularly offensive: the author clearly used it at times for exposition, and generally, it didn’t feel like how people would actually talk. I was really annoyed by how the author would have a character speak Hokkien, then immediately translate it into English. Either use dialect or don’t; otherwise, the reader is immediately pulled from the story. Some sentences (especially the one describing laksa) were also overblown to the point of being unintentionally hilarious. And don’t even get me started on the dialogue tags.
I wanted to like this because I share some cultural similarities with the characters, but the writing was really just not up to scratch.
I wanted to like this because I share some cultural similarities with the characters, but the writing was really just not up to scratch.
May 23, 2022
Heartbreaking, mesmerizing and real. Written with honesty, compassion and pain. Brava.
February 28, 2025
Review after author visit next week!
August 17, 2022
4.5
I was intrigued by the book's synopsis and love to discover a new author (to me at least).
Dandelion is a memoir-style fiction written by Lily who is a Canadian citizen. Her heritage however is somewhat more complicated and it us this heritage that frequently causes confusion and pain.
Lily's father instigated the move to Canada from Brunei where he and Lily's mother live in strained circumstances - she is a registered citizen, he is not. It is this statelessness that drives Lily's father - he has no real roots, no status and no rights.
Lily's mother's situation is different- she is a citizen and has left behind her elderly mother and sisters.
To move anywhere is always a gamble but to move from the sub-tropics to Canada is clearly a challenge in more ways than Lily's mother, Swee Hua can deal with. She becomes increasingly unhappy and disenchanted with her new life, constantly searching for something to ground her.
Then she disappears one day following a tragedy of her husband's making.
The remainder of the book follows Lily's life and her final acceptance that she must know what happened to her mother. This part brings many devastating revelations and an end that no one could have forseen.
I really enjoyed this audio version. The narrator was calm and measured and I was engaged with the story from the first page. Lily's story is compelling but heartbreaking. Her father is very definite in his outlook - he is now a Canadian citizen and that's all he needs to know; her mother is a lost soul - never settling, never content. It is a sad tale in many ways but does end on an optimistic note.
I'd definitely recommend this for anyone, like me, who enjoys an autobiographical-style family story; anyone who enjoys reading a new and exciting author. It is well written; a touching story sensitively told.
I got this ARC on audio from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was intrigued by the book's synopsis and love to discover a new author (to me at least).
Dandelion is a memoir-style fiction written by Lily who is a Canadian citizen. Her heritage however is somewhat more complicated and it us this heritage that frequently causes confusion and pain.
Lily's father instigated the move to Canada from Brunei where he and Lily's mother live in strained circumstances - she is a registered citizen, he is not. It is this statelessness that drives Lily's father - he has no real roots, no status and no rights.
Lily's mother's situation is different- she is a citizen and has left behind her elderly mother and sisters.
To move anywhere is always a gamble but to move from the sub-tropics to Canada is clearly a challenge in more ways than Lily's mother, Swee Hua can deal with. She becomes increasingly unhappy and disenchanted with her new life, constantly searching for something to ground her.
Then she disappears one day following a tragedy of her husband's making.
The remainder of the book follows Lily's life and her final acceptance that she must know what happened to her mother. This part brings many devastating revelations and an end that no one could have forseen.
I really enjoyed this audio version. The narrator was calm and measured and I was engaged with the story from the first page. Lily's story is compelling but heartbreaking. Her father is very definite in his outlook - he is now a Canadian citizen and that's all he needs to know; her mother is a lost soul - never settling, never content. It is a sad tale in many ways but does end on an optimistic note.
I'd definitely recommend this for anyone, like me, who enjoys an autobiographical-style family story; anyone who enjoys reading a new and exciting author. It is well written; a touching story sensitively told.
I got this ARC on audio from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
abandoned-dnf
January 31, 2025DNF @ 20%—I'm a big fan of the annual
Canada Reads
debates, so I really did try hard to keep reading this short-listed book but, I just couldn't. I hate to say this but, IMO the writing in this book is awful! It reads like it was written by a 10-year-old. So I don't get it! I'm certain there are thousands of books Canada Reads 2025 could have selected that have "the power to change how we see, share and experience the world around us." So, why did they choose this? I simply do not get it.😕
Jennie's Boy: A Newfoundland Childhood is next and I know I'll enjoy it. Wayne Johnston is one of my favourite Canadian authors.
Jennie's Boy: A Newfoundland Childhood is next and I know I'll enjoy it. Wayne Johnston is one of my favourite Canadian authors.
January 10, 2024
Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew
was long listed for Canada Reads 2023. I am so glad that I read this book! Thank you Jamie Chai Yun Liew for writing this novel.
When Lily was eleven years old her mother, Swee Hua, walked away from the family, never to be seen or heard from again. Now a new mother herself, Lily becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Swee Hua. She recalls the spring of 1987, growing up in a small British Columbia mining town as one of only a handful of Asian families; Lily's previously stateless father wanted them to blend seamlessly into Canadian life, while her mother, alienated and isolated, longed to return to Brunei. Years later, still affected by Swee Hua's disappearance, Lily's family is stubbornly silent to her questioning. But eventually, an old family friend provides a clue that sends Lily to Southeast Asia to find out the truth.
Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew is a beautifully written and affecting debut novel about motherhood, family secrets, migration, isolation, and mental illness. With clarity and care, it delves into the many ways we define home, identity, and, above all, belonging. 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
was long listed for Canada Reads 2023. I am so glad that I read this book! Thank you Jamie Chai Yun Liew for writing this novel.
When Lily was eleven years old her mother, Swee Hua, walked away from the family, never to be seen or heard from again. Now a new mother herself, Lily becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Swee Hua. She recalls the spring of 1987, growing up in a small British Columbia mining town as one of only a handful of Asian families; Lily's previously stateless father wanted them to blend seamlessly into Canadian life, while her mother, alienated and isolated, longed to return to Brunei. Years later, still affected by Swee Hua's disappearance, Lily's family is stubbornly silent to her questioning. But eventually, an old family friend provides a clue that sends Lily to Southeast Asia to find out the truth.
Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew is a beautifully written and affecting debut novel about motherhood, family secrets, migration, isolation, and mental illness. With clarity and care, it delves into the many ways we define home, identity, and, above all, belonging. 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 21, 2023
A moving debut novel about the complexities of interracial relationships, the challenges of new motherhood and the haunting legacy of a complicated mother-daughter relationship as new mother Lily tries to learn what made her Chinese mother abandon her as a child.
Perfect for fans of The light of eternal spring by Angel Di Zhang and good on audio too narrated by Jennifer Hui. This book was shortlisted for the Canada Reads 2023 competition and I definitely understood why! I happily look forward to reading whatever this author writes next.
Perfect for fans of The light of eternal spring by Angel Di Zhang and good on audio too narrated by Jennifer Hui. This book was shortlisted for the Canada Reads 2023 competition and I definitely understood why! I happily look forward to reading whatever this author writes next.
February 18, 2025
We are nothing to those in power. They don't recognize you. They don't look at you. They can discard you and kick you out. p13
Wouldn't you say anything to save your life? p115
A dandelion seed is tough and tenacious despite its fragile appearance, capable of rooting almost anywhere it is floated by capacious winds. Considered a weed by ignorant conditioning, these lovely, humble flowers are edible, loaded with vitamin C, and their roots contain extraordinary healing powers. There is a miserable war that commences each spring against the dandelion, a mindset that prevents people from recognizing its value.
So it is for many people denied identity, uprooted from places that held no place for them. Without the necessary paperwork, they are classified as illegal aliens and given little to no consideration and many obstacles to creating any kind of home. Is home the place you left or the place you found yourself?
I was surprised how a place could make me feel alive...and understood. p214
In limpid prose, Jamie Chai Yun Liew introduces us to such a displaced family that holds on to both extremes of reaction to their situation. That they manage to provide over a decade of stable and safe care for their two daughters is a compromise of duty and will. If you are the sort of reader that falls in love with characters, there is a small cast here that may break your heart.
4/5
6/7
Wouldn't you say anything to save your life? p115
A dandelion seed is tough and tenacious despite its fragile appearance, capable of rooting almost anywhere it is floated by capacious winds. Considered a weed by ignorant conditioning, these lovely, humble flowers are edible, loaded with vitamin C, and their roots contain extraordinary healing powers. There is a miserable war that commences each spring against the dandelion, a mindset that prevents people from recognizing its value.
So it is for many people denied identity, uprooted from places that held no place for them. Without the necessary paperwork, they are classified as illegal aliens and given little to no consideration and many obstacles to creating any kind of home. Is home the place you left or the place you found yourself?
I was surprised how a place could make me feel alive...and understood. p214
In limpid prose, Jamie Chai Yun Liew introduces us to such a displaced family that holds on to both extremes of reaction to their situation. That they manage to provide over a decade of stable and safe care for their two daughters is a compromise of duty and will. If you are the sort of reader that falls in love with characters, there is a small cast here that may break your heart.
4/5
6/7
February 9, 2023
4.5!
Such an underrated read that deserves all the stars!
This book has such beautiful writing, and a really sad story that focuses on mother-daughter relationships, displacement, isolation, belonging, yearning, immigration, racism, statelessness, and so much more.
This book is told in 3 parts - the first part is the “Before” Lily’s mother leaves her as a child. The second part is the “Now”, where Lily is a new mother and questioning again why her mother never came back, what advice would she give, etc. and the third part takes place mostly with Lily on her way to find the answers she needs.
I really felt for all the characters in this book, and how one person can impact so many lives, both good and bad. I really urge everyone to read this book, and get a new perspective on things.
Such an underrated read that deserves all the stars!
This book has such beautiful writing, and a really sad story that focuses on mother-daughter relationships, displacement, isolation, belonging, yearning, immigration, racism, statelessness, and so much more.
This book is told in 3 parts - the first part is the “Before” Lily’s mother leaves her as a child. The second part is the “Now”, where Lily is a new mother and questioning again why her mother never came back, what advice would she give, etc. and the third part takes place mostly with Lily on her way to find the answers she needs.
I really felt for all the characters in this book, and how one person can impact so many lives, both good and bad. I really urge everyone to read this book, and get a new perspective on things.
May 19, 2022
This was a beautifully written book and I loved every bit of it
January 31, 2025
3.75. A delightful wee book. If not for Canada Reads I wouldn’t have picked this up. A touching story.
November 8, 2022
The author delicately balances the main character's feelings with her mother's as Lily and her sister grow up in a small mining town in B.C. Her mother feels stranded, deeply uncomfortable and alienated in the town, as it bears no resemblance to anything she loves in her hometown Brunei. The girls know something is wrong between their mother Swee Hua and their father, but are too young to appreciate Swee Hua's frustration and depression, and the family is shocked when Swee Hua disappears permanently from their lives one day.
Years later, Lily, pregnant and wondering what motherhood means to her, decides to find out what prompted Swee Hua to leave her and her sister, both of whom feel resentful and angry about their mother. Lily travels to Brunei and discovers much about her lonely mother that moves her.
Debut author Jamie Chai Yun Liew has created a lovely and melancholic story of a family deeply hurt and broken by the mother’s disappearance. I find it hard to believe this is her first book, as the prose is confident and resonates with unexplored feelings and unsaid words. It's an emotional, sad story, and I look forward to reading more by this author.
Years later, Lily, pregnant and wondering what motherhood means to her, decides to find out what prompted Swee Hua to leave her and her sister, both of whom feel resentful and angry about their mother. Lily travels to Brunei and discovers much about her lonely mother that moves her.
Debut author Jamie Chai Yun Liew has created a lovely and melancholic story of a family deeply hurt and broken by the mother’s disappearance. I find it hard to believe this is her first book, as the prose is confident and resonates with unexplored feelings and unsaid words. It's an emotional, sad story, and I look forward to reading more by this author.
February 7, 2025
Wonderful storytelling with the focus being on mother daughter relationships. Heartwrenching at times as Lily and Swee Hua navigate their relationship and deal with themes of family, isolation and belonging. I read this as part of the Canada Reads 2025 shortlist. I hope it does well in the debates.
October 30, 2023
“To some, this is a weed,” he concedes. “But it’s really a flower. Like a dandelion, the Hakka can land anywhere, take root in the poorest soil, flourish, and flower. Look at this one. It’s growing in the crack of the asphalt.”
January 20, 2025
So well done.
This book was so emotional, so filled with heartbreak and sorrow but somehow uplifting in the end.
For a debut novel it was amazing.
Touching on themes of abandonment and family secrets, the story makes you think of so many perspectives - who's to say whose actions are right or wrong. We all do the best we can.
A Canada Reads longlist nominee, I hope it makes it to the shortlist.
This book was so emotional, so filled with heartbreak and sorrow but somehow uplifting in the end.
For a debut novel it was amazing.
Touching on themes of abandonment and family secrets, the story makes you think of so many perspectives - who's to say whose actions are right or wrong. We all do the best we can.
A Canada Reads longlist nominee, I hope it makes it to the shortlist.
March 27, 2025
I absolutely adored this book!! Loved the Ottawa references too.
April 24, 2022
What I enjoyed most about Dandelion was how real everything felt. The author writes with true passion about stateless issues, drawing on their background as a lawyer in that field. As someone who was never in the position of being stateless, it opened my eyes to the issues and reality of the lives of immigrants. The story starts in British Columbia, but it is a story that will surely be relatable to anyone who is an immigrant or a child of immigrants.
It is also a story about how deeply your family and family history can affect you and influence you your entire life. Each chapter starts with a single chinese character which was a thoughtful touch. I liked the way the narrative moved between different times and places too. Towards the end I couldn't put it down, I needed to know what happened to the missing woman named Swee Hua!
It is also a story about how deeply your family and family history can affect you and influence you your entire life. Each chapter starts with a single chinese character which was a thoughtful touch. I liked the way the narrative moved between different times and places too. Towards the end I couldn't put it down, I needed to know what happened to the missing woman named Swee Hua!
August 24, 2022
Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew is a great debut novel! I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jennifer Hui and I quite enjoyed it. I loved the Canadian settings of British Columbia and Ottawa and the Chinese Canadian culture. I’m Chinese Canadian so I found many parts in this novel extremely relatable. It was interesting to read about Lily’s thoughts on identity and familial bonds. I really enjoyed how evident the author’s own knowledge is put into this story. I’d definitely be interested to read more from this author.
Thank you to Bespeak Audio Editions via NetGalley for my ALC!
Thank you to Bespeak Audio Editions via NetGalley for my ALC!
January 29, 2025
I didn’t dislike this book, but I didn’t love it, either. It’s on the Canada Reads list for 2025, so I gave it a go. The author is a lawyer with insights into the humanity of her subject, in a way that reminds me of Michelle Good and Five Little Indians, but not as well done. There are some really good scenes and heavy characters, but at times it seems like the book is more of a fictionalised apologia for statelessness than an independent story.
February 11, 2025
A strong 4 stars. The more I think about it, the more I like the story. I felt it was very well written and showed the complexities women face when they are immigrants, and also visible minorities. The story didn’t sugar coat the lives of the immigrants and the challenges they face. A good choice for Canada Reads.
January 30, 2025
Super surprised at all the reviews saying how great the writing is, it felt totally awkward and not genuine the whole way through. It was so distracting that it kept me from connecting with any of the characters or the story.
Read
February 9, 2025I thought this story was so interesting and I loved the characters but I really had a hard time with the writing - I just found it to be very « tell not show » and on the nose/hand-holdy to the reader. I am still glad I read it and really did love the story.
June 29, 2022
Many thanks to the clerk in a local independent bookstore who recommended this book to me! I loved it.
August 18, 2023
A really good read that grabbed me right away. Explores immigrant experience and the feeling of not belonging in either society. Recommend.
August 8, 2024
Beautiful and tragic story. Relatable for children/recent descendants of immigrants, and those who went into advocacy work based on that history
November 21, 2024
Welp. This wrecked me.
March 23, 2025
I read this for Canada Reads and I really enjoyed it. I feel it embraces what many would consider their immigrant experience. I learned a lot about Asian culture and felt I saw a peak into the minds of different experiences of children and parents who are immigrants.
The book has simple writing which I feel is accessible and felt the unresolved feelings made the story realistic. It reads like a memoir but is fiction and the basis of the story is that we are all experiencing isolation from something and the want to belong. We also don’t know all the reasons people make the choices they do and that’s life.
The book has simple writing which I feel is accessible and felt the unresolved feelings made the story realistic. It reads like a memoir but is fiction and the basis of the story is that we are all experiencing isolation from something and the want to belong. We also don’t know all the reasons people make the choices they do and that’s life.
June 17, 2024
4.5 I read this book for a class but I came to really love it. The main character ends up living in Ottawa's Chinatown for a large chunk of the book and it was so cool to read her describing the streets I live around and the exact little asian market I get my groceries from.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 439 reviews