Having to rely on her wits and a scroll left by her husband, Meilin manages to keep them both alive through the turbulent years of the war with Japan and the following civil war. In 1938, Meilin’s future seemed bright, but with the Japanese army approaching, she is forced to flee her home with her son Renshu. She is not the warlords’, the emperors’ or the Americans’. Spanning continents and generations, Peach Blossom Spring is a bold and moving look at the history of modern China, told through the story of one family.“She does not belong to the Japanese, the Imperialists, the foreigners who rolled into Shanghai. How can he keep his family safe in this new land when the weight of his history threatens to drag them down? Yet how can Lily learn who she is if she can never know her family’s story? Though his daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, he refuses to talk about his childhood. Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. Relying on little but their wits and a beautifully illustrated hand scroll, filled with ancient fables that offer solace and wisdom, they must travel through a ravaged country, seeking refuge. But with the Japanese army approaching, Meilin and her four-year-old son, Renshu, are forced to flee their home. It is 1938 in China and, as a young wife, Meilin’s future is bright. 'Within every misfortune there is a blessing and within every blessing, the seeds of misfortune, and so it goes, until the end of time.' Expansive, atmospheric, and affecting, Peach Blossom Spring shows just how much the human heart can hold, and it left me breathless. I was fully invested in Henry and Meilin’s journey at every turn and wanted them to find peace and happiness. Can we, children of immigrants, ever really understand all the hardships they endured? This book bridges that generational gap and does so with true wisdom.ĭespite how much ground this story covers, it reads like a page-turner. Henry’s journey reminds me of the one my own parents took. This is one of the most moving parts of the novel. His daughter Lily wants to understand his mysterious past, which Henry refuses to talk about. Years later, Renshu leaves his mother behind and moves to New Mexico, where he reinvents himself as Henry Dao, and marries an American woman. And at every stop, they are faced with difficult choices about who and what to leave behind, and at what cost.

They are setting off on a perilous journey across China in search of safety. Peach Blossom Spring begins with Meilin and her four-year-old son Renshu as they flee their burning city during the Sino-Japanese war.

This is a timeless story that will never get old.

Any fans of Pachinko will love this sweeping book for its emotional tenderness which quietly creeps up on you. From the first pages of this gorgeous historical novel, I knew that this was my kind of story.

Book peach blossom spring