It’s Memorial Day weekend which means a trip out of town. Whether you’re going on a beach mini-break or a waterpark, it’s always perfect to have something to read during downtime. I look forward to having me time in large group settings and books are one of the best ways to do that. Typically, I really enjoy reading biographies and historical fiction. I was very happy to come across Song of Praise for a Flower by Charlene Chu and Fengxian Chu.
Follow Fengxian
This #1 bestseller in Women’s Studies History on Amazon, is a powerful story that almost wasn’t published. For nearly two decades, this handwritten and humbly bound manuscript was hidden in a Chinese bank vault. It wasn’t until a long-lost cousin from America inspired the 92-year-old author, Fengxian Chu, to unearth it. Fengxian’s memoir, meant to be a family heirloom, emerged into a piece to be shared with the world, and a way for the authors to make sense of their own lives.
Song of Praise for a Flower traces a century of Chinese history through the experiences of a woman and her family, from World War II and China’s civil war to the Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, and beyond. This book is a window into China’s tumultuous transformation intertwined with an uplifting story of a remarkable woman who survives everything, eventually finding peace and tranquility.
Surviving It All
Fengxian’s story begins in the 1920’s in the heart of China’s rice country. Her life is a struggle from the beginning. At a young age, she manages to avoid foot-binding and an arranged marriage. Eventually, Fengxian sneaks away from home to attend school. When the Japanese invade her village, Mao Zedong’s Communist Party has taken control. Fengxian’s family is driven to starvation and her husband is branded a ‘bad element.’
In the 1970’s, after Mao’s death, China moves in a new direction. Eventually, brave Fengxian finds herself in a new glittering place, having survived it all. This first-person account is a beautifully written story proving to be uplifting and full of courage.