Book Review: Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew

Such a poignant and eye-opening read! The opening page is Lily, pregnant and reminiscing about her mother, rubbing her ankle just as her mother had years before. Set in Sparwood, B.C., Ah Loy, Lily’s father works in the mine and is content with his life in Canada. Swee Hua, his wife is very unhappy with Canada. Moving from China, to Brunei and finally immigrating to British Columbia, they settled in mining community of Sparwood. Their children, Lily and Bea, were born in Canada making Ah Loy very proud. He had been stateless in both China and Brunei. Swee Hua does not share his feelings, and seems to be from a different class. Their dialects are different, even within their Chinese neighbourhood: Hakka, Hokkein, Cantonese and Mandarin often indicating class. Jamie Chai Yun Liew has filled this story with issues of immigration, Chinese heritage and the many dialects, family secrets, motherhood, racism and mixed cultures, all seen through Lily’s eyes as a child, then a wife and a new mother. 

Swee Hua deserted the family when Lily was 11. No note and all her things gone. When Ah Loy looked for his wife with many calls to his family in Brunei, and in the surrounding Sparwood area there was no trace. 

Lily is left with the nagging question of what happened to cause her mother to leave them. She carries it with her through her life, even concerned that it was something she may have done or not done. This while her sister Bea was just angry with their mother. Lily preferred learning her husband John’s Ukrainian culture and didn’t want anything to do with anything Chinese, while her sister respected and enjoyed their Chinese cultures. 

Lily especially missed her mother when her daughter was born. Her Auntie Choo Neo, Ah Loy’s sister, took on many of the responsibilities but purposely tried not to replace Swee Hua. She accompanied John and Lily, and their baby, Leonida, in an extended search for her mother, Swee Hua. The conversations that Lily and Auntie Choo Neo had on the plane both there and back struggled through the emotions of the past and whether they would find Swee Hua.

None of these details are skimmed over to include them all. The pacing of this very textured story is steady and comfortable. This story, complete with Chinese characters at the beginning of each chapter, is beautifully written. 

“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.”

~ Jamie Chai Yun Liew, Dandelion

Title: Dandelion

Author: Jamie Chai Yun Liew

Cover and Text Design: Jazmin Welch

Cover and Interior Art: Ophelia Liew

Edited by: Catharine Chen and Shirarose Wilensky

Copyright: 2022

Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press

Type: Fiction

Format: Soft Cover

ISBN: 9781551528816

Canadiana (ebook): 20210390816

Book Review ~ The Promise of Canada by Charlotte Gray - 150 Years - People and Ideas that Have Shaped Our Country

Such a fascinating read! This book is packed snugly with the story of Canada. Not just politics, but some of the people that created and continue to develop this sprawling, multicultural country. Historian and biographer Charlotte Gray shows us the work that it’s taken to build Canada, including showing some of the dirty laundry over our 150 year span. She includes the need to bind east to west with the railway and the immigrants that built it. With excellent research and elegant narrative, Charlotte Gray chose nine characters from Canada’s first 150 years to paint this picture ~ 

George-Etienne Cartier, the Francophone Father of Confederation 

who advocated for political multiculturalism; 

Emily Carr on Vancouver Island, the Group of Seven in the east and 

the development of the arts in Canada; 

Economist Harold Innis, a prolific writer of nationalism 

about Canada as a ‘natural’ rather than political entity;

Tommy Douglas, a provincial and then federal politician

and his promotion of health care for all that brought in Medicare; 

Sam Steele and the founding of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police 

with their successes, benefits and deficits;

Elijah Harper, former chief of the Red Sucker Lake First Nation, spoke up in the Manitoba Legislature against the Meech Lake Accord and for Indigenous rights;

Supreme Court Justice Bertha Wilson, the first woman on the Supreme Court, 

who had strong views on the Constitutional Rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms;

Margaret Atwood, a Canadian literary treasure 

who has shaped Canadian literature at all levels; 

Preston Manning, the Alberta politician who disagreed 

with the traditional politics of the East throughout his career.

I can only give you a sketch of how Canada came to be, how this country grew and has continued to grow. The recent events since Charlotte Gray’s book was published, shows our strength to survive and thrive no matter the conditions.

“Cbarlotte Gray helps us to better understand who we are 

as an evolving nation ~ a country for all that 

will thrive well beyond the next 150 years.

~ Naheed Nenshi, previous mayor of Calgary, Alberta

Title: The Promise of Canada - 150 Years - People and Ideas That Have Shaped Our Country

Author: Charlotte Gray

Copyright: 2016

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Format: Non-Fiction, hardback

Type: History

ISBN: 978-1-4767-8467-0

ISBN: 1-4767-8469-4 (ebook)

Movie Review: Fable Deaf ~ Written and produced by Deaf Crows Collective

I was invited to attend the showing of the short film, Fable Deaf, on May 21, 2024. It was held in a banquet room at the Crave Restaurant on Victoria Avenue. The room was crowded with a mix of deaf and hearing Regina residents. The film was silent, with subtitles and full of action and energy. It was a juxtaposition of past knowledge and present trials. An old library of built only of windows and loose boards was cared for by elderly Hugo (Allard Thomas) who would have been content to read his history books and have a cup of tea. Devi (Fatima Nafisa), a young and happy girl, was trying in vain to repair the window frames of the old library that really was falling apart. To Do Lists were posted everywhere, none of the items checked off. Jaul (Mustafa Alabssi), a curious and then angry young man tried to make Hugo understand his concerns but they fought. In a beautiful bout of magical realism, their anger erupted in a violent storm that almost swept them all away and destroyed the library. Jasper (Oscar Grodeki), a child, was seen at the beginning and throughout the film - a young boy alone and seemingly forgotten. In the end, the generations came together and agreed to work together.

This entire evening was in ASL (American Sign Language) with an expert interpreter for those of us who did not understand or communicate in ASL. Following the film and a brief Q & A, we were treated to an explanation of how the film was made as well as a synopsis of its meaning. The ‘library’ was built at Thom Collegiate. The storm scene was shot in a local back yard in a swimming pool! 

It was an excellent production. If you would like to contact the Deaf Crows to see a trailer of this film, or just to ask questions their website is deafcrowscollective.ca

“I am fourth-generation deaf, which means everyone 

in my immediate family is deaf. So I grew up always having

 100 percent accessibility to language and communication, 

which was wonderful and something so many deaf people don’t have.”

~ Shoshannah Stern, actress

Written and produced by Deaf Crows Collective

Directed by Chrystene Ells

Starring

Mustafa Alabssi as Jaul

Oscar Grodecki as Jasper

Fatima Nafisa as Devi

Allard Thomas as Hugo

Shot on location the John Hopkins Regina Stage, Regina, Sk

As We Walk

Evolution, like bureaucracy, moves slowly…

unseen and unfelt until archaeologists discover 

where we have been ~ certain of the existence of the past; 

gently brushing away sand and pebbles 

to witness the shards and remnants 

of once vibrant living cultures

protected by Mother Earth ’til

revealing them to us as we walk.

“Are we being good ancestors?”

 ~ Jonas Salk

Every Child's Soul

Every child listens and learns 

     the gifts and dance,

     twists and turns 

in the heat of their culture.

“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts 

and in the soul of its people.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Book Review: The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

This was a hard book for me to read. The life of Lakshmi Shastri was so much harder, but well paid. In order for her to keep body and soul together and her intention to own her own house, she worked her well paid magic in intricate henna designs on the hands and feet of the wealthy and powerful in Jaipur, India. Set in India from November, 1955 - November, 1956, when India was still in the grip of an age-old caste system and post colonial era, Lakshmi Shastri, a single woman with no family, had to finesse her way into this society. She was introduced to her clientele through the questionable good graces of the charming Samir Singh; his wife Parvati one of her first clients. He purchased from her sachets of cotton root so his many mistresses would be free of any unwanted burdens. She kept his secrets only so she could keep moving towards her goals. Lakshmi’s character did not seem to be a malicious person, just a woman who had run away from an abusive husband and, because of the shame to her family she left her home and had only to survive. A single woman alone in a culture that did not approve.

Lakshmi’s story revealed the many layers in India due, cultural norms and rules, long standing caste systems and the recent post colonization of the British. Alka Joshi spun this story slowly and clearly, each step of the anxiety that Lakshmi lived was detailed as beautifully as she painted her henna designs. Malik, Lakshmi’s protector, a child of about eight or nine when she found him on the streets was hired to help her in her business. Although he was Muslim to her Buddhism, they became fast friends. He supported her when her anxiety escalated with the introduction of a sister that she did not know existed. Radha, 13 years old, was brought to Jaipur by Hari, the husband she had fled. This twist to the story created new layers of worry for Lakshmi. Head strong Radha, had had little parenting and resisted Lakshmi’s attempts at parenting: an out of wedlock pregnancy ensued, a royal adoption proposed. All Lakshmi’s plans and relationships crumbled as easily as a castle of cards. 

Themes that run loudly silent through this story are the oppression of the women of the culture, and the strength of women to survive despite their status: economic or societal. Pressure to bear male children, and yet pressure to abort any children if a pregnancy was inconvenient. Lakshmi’s story revolves around these themes. Despite these difficulties, The Henna Artist had quite a satisfactory ending. The tension that author, Alka Joshi had built, was eased slowly and gently much to my relief. 

“When the Goddess of Wealth comes to give you her blessing, 

you shouldn’t leave the room to wash your face.”

~ Hindu Proverb (front page of The Henna Artist)

Title: The Henna Artist

Author: Alka Joshi

Copyright: 2020

Publisher: Mira Publishing - This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

Type: Novel

Format: Soft cover

ISBN - 978-0-7783-1020-4

Book Review: The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani

Beautiful. Tragic. Humbling. Jaya, a journalist in New York City at the time of sonograms and invitro fertilization, is devastated and lost. She blames herself for the loss of all three pregnancies and, because of her frozen grief, loses her marriage. 

Amisha, a joyful young woman at the time of the British Invasion of India, is bound tightly by the cultural norms and mores of her India. Her stories whirl and dance in her head and, ever since she learned to write as a child, she began putting them to paper. Amisha was Jaya’s grandmother, a grandmother that she never knew but learned from.

I could say that this is a story about women and for women. However, very prominently in the background, men play a strong part in the lives of women, for better or for worse. This was especially true in Amisha’s time and country. Author Sejal Badani’s storytelling had me enthralled. Jaya, the protagonist, has a very difficult relationship with her mother. Her mother and father had immigrated to America before Jaya was born. Her mother was told by her father to never return to India. Therein lies one of the secrets. 

Amisha’s story, full of family secrets and oppression, is told to Jaya by Ravi. Amisha defies many of the cultural mores, dancing at her wedding, writing her stories, bringing Ravi, of the caste untouchables, into her marriage home. Ravi, tells Jaya her grandmother’s story and the early days of her mother’s story. It is some of these issues that earned the disbelief of some of more uncharitable reviewers I read on the Goodreads site. 

Throughout it all, the sights and sounds of India, the ceremonies and holidays of India, were described in beautiful, colourful detail. The poverty and squalor of India was described in heartbreaking detail. Sejal Badani has written scenes of insane cruelty and of deep abiding love and friendship. 

“With humility may I reap my own power, and at the end of the journey 

I hope to stand small so others can feel tall.”

~ Sejal Badani, The Storytelle’s Secret

Title: The Storyteller’s Secret

Author: Sejal Badani

Copyright 2018

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing, Seattle

Type: Fiction

Format: Novel

ISBN: 13: 9781503949089 (hardcover)

ISBN: 10: 1503949087 (hardcover)

ISBN: 13: 9781542048279 (paperback)

ISBN: 10: 1542048273 (paperback)

Traditional Memories

My gingerbread house - showing only what's best.

This essay is a first for me - not a first essay - but first to be actually written and edited on this blog page. Had things to do before sitting down to write this post. Coffee, reading, yoga and some writing. Checking bus times for getting downtown this morning. (This morning fast disappearing as I write this). There won't be much, if any Christmas shopping, but shopping for a new pair of sneakers. That is another story. What I want to visit about this morning is maintaining the Christmas atmosphere at home that I grew upon with and enjoyed as a child.

The North American culture has wisely embraced many individuals from many, many different cultures with the promise of religious freedom. Over the years, that promise has been questioned, broken, and sometimes just plain ignored. So much so that, my own personal religious freedom and that of many others were born and raised in a Christian tradition. I am no longer a practising member of any church, having developed beliefs that are consistent with the core of many religions. I have chosen not to affiliate myself with any specific church dogma.

But......and this is a big but. I still love all the Christmas music, Christmas trees and all things - except for the shopping - Christmas. Even the windows 'snowed' with wintertime scenes. I am not willing to give those things up as they connect me to a part of my past that is filled with joy, family times and really good books (The Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew come to mind). Fireplaces and Santa Claus. It is all labeled Christmas but the meaning of Christmas is different for everyone. In our house, I recall my dad going to pick up Grandma and Grandpa for breakfast - before church? - and the delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs and sausage (I think) and..............

Now for my personal problem. I am and have lived on my own for many years. Christmas has been a lonely time, a time of remembering what I didn't have and many times a time of working shifts over Christmas. Actually that last has sometimes benefited me as I was with colleagues and patients all in the same boat, celebrating together in our own ways. But I digress. Tired with feeling left out and alone, my home is true to what I enjoy - and without guilt. Maybe with just a bit of passive aggressive attitude.

I put up decorations - smaller but still festive. I play Christmas music - to be more culturally correct 'seasonal' - and love it. I attend Christmas events. And there is one more thing that I was never able to do as a child that I always wanted to - I build a gingerbread house. Granted it's from a kit, but it's fun. 

I'll keep the part of this tradition that I enjoy. If I can will share in the celebrations of other religions, recognizing that the childhood memories for each of still lives.

"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire."

~ Gustav Mahler

What's Normal?

‘Normally’ only refers to 

a given circumstance

but begs comparison 

to the perceptions of others.

Nourishment for each culture

comes down from the ages

where there were no recipes

only hunger and thirst.

“It is not necessary to advertise food to hungry people, 

fuel to cold people, or houses to the homeless.”

~ John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - 2006)