A Chinese Childhood

by Chiang Yee

In this book the artist-author of successful books on New York, Edinburgh and other places, turns his attention to his own land and describes the happy years he spent in his home in Kiu-kiang between the ages five and fifteen. His experience was practically confined to the household--more than thirty people--of which he was a member, occurring in these years being the Revolution of 1912, which caused the family to move into the country for a few monthes. Births, marriages and deaths were, apart from the many delightful festivals--the new Year, the Feast of Lanterns, the Birthday of the Flowers, the Ch'ing-ming (Ancestor) Festivals-- the only notable events of the year. The peacefulness of such country life of Mr. Chiang's grandfather were his aged birds and his chrysanthemums!
The illustrations are a feature of the book. There are eight in full color, which Chiang Yee considers to be among his best work, and there are exactly 100 illustrations in pen and ink, mostly of Chinese street scenes remembered from the city and countryside of his childhood. there is also, on the front end paper, an interesting chart of the genealogy of the Chiang family for four generations.
First published in England in 1940, and several times rprinted there, the book now includes a new concluding chapter, written especially for this American edition.

302 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

Chiang Yee (simplified Chinese: 蒋彝; traditional Chinese: 蔣彝; pinyin: Jiǎng Yí; Wade–Giles: Chiang I; 19 May 1903 – 26 October 1977), self-styled as "The Silent Traveller" (哑行者), was a Chinese poet, author, painter and calligrapher.

The success of The Silent Traveller in London (1938) was followed by a series of books in the same vein, all of which he illustrated himself.

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this writer. He started with travel books written in the 1930's on his travels in London, Oxford, Edinburg then wrote about his childhood. His drawings illustrate the book, showing his family and home. You can try to imagine old China. And think how much has changed after wars, revolutions and occupation. This one of my favorite books. Maybe because it reminds me of my Taiwan toddlerhood.