The Jade Peony

The Jade Peony is a novel by Wayson Choy. It was first published in 1995 by Douglas and McIntyre.

The novel features stories told by three siblings, Jook-Liang, Jung-Sum and Sek-Lung or Sekky. Each child tells their own unique story, revealing their personal flaws and differences.

Set in Vancouver's Chinatown, the novel takes place during the 1930s and 1940s and among other events, explores the ways in which the Chinese and majority of Canadians once viewed the Japanese, especially during Japan's occupation of China during the Second World War and in the events following Pearl Harbor.

Other issues dealt with in this novel include the sense of belonging to a nation, and how young children of immigrants felt at this time, trying to find their identity when they were alien residents in Canada, but were not born in the same country as their parents were. They are working to find their identity as Chinese Canadians, and find either embrace being Canadian, or keep the Old China ways alive. This issue becomes especially important in the wake of their grandmother (called Poh-Poh or the Old One)'s death.

Another issue touched on in this book is sexuality, as one of the characters realizes he has homosexual feelings. The implications of what this means at a time when this is not culturally acceptable are alluded to, and the character knows that he will have to keep these feelings secret.

Sequel

All That Matters is a sequel to The Jade Peony. It tells the story of the Jade Peony from the point of view of the three siblings' eldest brother, Kiam-Kim.

Reception

The book was selected for the 2010 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by academic and activist Samantha Nutt.^[1] It did not win, however.

Characters

• Jook-Liang - Only Sister - Born in Canada. She is the first child born to Father and Stepmother and the only girl in the family. She narrates the first section of the book.
• Jung-Sum - Second Brother - Born in Canada. When his parents died in a town in the interior of British Columbia, he was adopted into the Chen family at the age of four as the second son. He narrates the second section of the book.
• Sek-Lung - Third Brother - Born in Canada, and the last surviving child born to Father and Stepmother. Because he is very sickly, he is not allowed to go to school until the age of 7. This shapes many of his experiences and ideas due to spending more time with Poh-Poh than his older siblings. He narrates the third section of the book.
• Kiam-Kim - First Brother - Born in China. He is the only child by Father's first wife. Kiam is a peripheral character in the book, and his perspective is addressed in All That Matters (novel)\All That Matters.
• Poh-Poh - Also known as the Old One, she is the paternal grandmother of Kiam-Kim, Jook-Liang, Jung-Sum, and Sek-Lung. However, she is addressed by the honorific of a maternal grandmother to conceal the circumstances which allowed her, her son, and Kiam-Kim to immigrate to Canada.
• Father - Came to Canada with his mother and young son after the death of his first wife. Helps his uncle run his business.
• Stepmother - Father's second wife, and actually the mother of Jook-Liang and Sek-Lung, but upon Poh-Poh's suggestion that their names be kept simple in Canada, she is referred to by all as Stepmother. Her given name, as revealed in All That Matters, is Siu-Diep.
• Mrs. Lim - Poh-Poh's close friend.
• Meiying Lim - Mrs. Lim's adopted daughter, and also Sek-Lung's babysitter.
• Third Uncle - A relative from the Chen family, a moderately successful businessman in Canada who sponsors the father, Poh-Poh, and Kiam-Kim as his "paper family." While altered immigration papers say that Third Uncle and Father are brothers, in truth they are distant relatives.
• Dai Kew
• Old Yuen - A tenant of the Tong Association, infamous in Chinatown for being an alcoholic and often beating his wife during her lifetime. Jung-Sum comes to own a nice heavy jacket that used to belong to him.
• Frank Yuen - Old Yuen's son, a fellow in his early twenties who, despite tendencies to drink and gamble, is looked up to by both Kiam-Kim and Jung-Sum, as they are all into boxing.
• Wong Suk - Old friend of Poh-Poh, he is wise and has a monkey face, but becomes a good friend to Jook-Liang. He is forced to return to China when issues appear with his immigration papers.

References