Chinese Canadian Books

"A jolly, laughing lady," those are the opening words of the biography.
The closing words are:
"To be able to share what I have learned with others is a privilege and a joy. Has not this journey been an enviable inheritance in itself?"

In between those personal words, I got the chance to intimately share the life of Winnifred Eaton. Birchall opens the family vaults, secrets and intimacies; shares her deductions and her thoughts about Winnifred with me as reader; and writes in a zesty, tangy language that kept seducing me to read on and on.
The things I learned about the early filmindustry in Hollywood and the look behind the screens, are as fascinating as all the facts about the working conditions for women in the first half of the century in the USA

This biography by Birchall leads me to wonder and think about Winnifred as a human being and also about the culture and times that Winnifred went through in her life and tackled straight on, in her own inimitable style.
What more can a biography do?

Normally I am none too fond of biographies as genre. This one had me enthralled, qua content and style of writing.

Birchall's fascinating and beautifully written account of her grandmother's life is an important work for scholars in women's studies, Asian-American or American studies, Canlit, and the movie industry, and for the general reader seeking a compelling biography.

Other reviewers have mentioned Eaton/Watanna's background. I will stress instead the absorbing interest of Winnifred's successive reinventions of herself in societies that had no ready place for her. Like a brilliant slackrope walker with an increasingly awkward load, Winnifred managed to shift her balance not only to survive, but pulled off one tour de force after another. Her performances as a Japanese-American novelist, as a screenwriter and as a rancher doyenne would win applause from Daniel Defoe.

Eaton/Watanna has become a focal interest of American scholars in recent years. As her granddaughter, Birchall had informaitonal advantages in writing on her. Her graceful, well-considered book shows how glad we should be for Birchall's advantages.

I didn't mean to like Winnifred Eaton. After all, she was a bit of a fanfaronade and very much of a poseur, not at all the sort I wanted in my circle of intimates.

But Diana Birchall's sparkling biography changed my mind. Writing with unblinking honesty, Birchall describes the many lives that her chameleon grandmother lived, from journalist and novelist to story editor and screenwriter. Of most interest to me were the stories of her career as wife in two unconventional marriages and mother to four children. Birchall's graceful use of language is enhanced by her wit and intelligently ironic style. She concludes this delightful biography with the acknowledgment that sharing what she has learned about her grandmother has been a privilege and a joy. Surely it is no less a privilege and a joy for the reader.

In my library I have dozens of books inherited from my parents and my grandparents. We have been readers for several generations, and I grew up with many of these books. One of these books was a novel called "The Heart of Hyacinth" by an author mysteriously named Onoto Watanna. The author was unknown to me, but I thought the book was one of the most beautiful of all the books I'd inherited, with lovely Japanese-style illustrations and drawings.

But now I've had a chance to learn about the woman who lurked behind that exotic nom de plume. I learn she was not Japanese at all, but half Chinese and half English. Yet her true story seems to be as fully exotic as any of the character's lives from her books.

Diana Birchall has done a wonderful job of bringing her fascinating grandmother to life. The book give a wonderful look at a most unusual woman, and what life was like for young women at the turn of the last century. At least what life was like when the young women were as self-confident and gutsy as the young Winnifred Eaton.

"A jolly, laughing lady" are the first words of the bigraphy; the last ones are: "To be able to share what I have learned with others has been a privilege and a joy. Has not this journey been an enviable inheritance in itself?"

Inbetween these words Birchall indeed shares with the reader the life of Winnifred, in personal and intimate detail. Birchall also seduces the reader into not just reading, but thinking about the culture and times Winnifred faced in her own inimitable style, from her life in Canada as young girl down to the years of Hollywood.

Normally I am none too fond of biographies but this one enchanted me, by the content and by the style of Birchall's writing. Full of zest, lifely images and easy to read on and on. As non native reader I appreciated this very much; it was a joy and a privilege to share. Would that all biographies were such a good read!

A touching story about a little girl who loves her old country, yet has new hopes and dreams for her new country. Must have for Asian-Americans and anyone who knows the pain of leaving their own country for another.

Joe Chang wonderfully illustrates Madeleine Thien's The Chinese Violin, a gentle ethnic story of Lin Lin and her father, who immigrate to canada from China with a treasured traditional Chinese violin in hand. The violin brings good luck, until one day it's broken. Can they still adjust to life in their new country without it?

The rediscovery of Greek and Roman literature kickstarted the Renaissance in Europe. In a similar way, though on a somewhat smaller scale, the conveniently Imagist makeover of Chinese poetry by Ezra Pound and Amy Lowell undoubtedly had a seismic and far-reaching effect on later 20th century American poetry. In his learned Introduction to this outstanding and indispensable Anthology, Weinberger traces the many subsequent debts owed by a galaxy of fine American poets to that seminal work of re-invention. Such impressively talented scholar-translators as Burton Watson, J. P Seaton, Jonathan Chaves and several others receive an honourable mention, though their work is well anthologised elsewhere, and Weinberger's brief seems to have been only to include full-time poets: with the possible exception of Hinton, that is. (However, Sam Hamill's, Arthur Sze's and David Young's names have inexplicably been left out: all three of them marvellous contemporary re-interpreters of the classical Chinese tradition, and all three fine poets in their own right.)

Weinberger concentrates in particular on five exemplary writers: Ezra Pound himself, William Carlos Williams, Kenneth Rexroth, Gary Snyder, and David Hinton. They are certainly all major figures, and it's useful to have them grouped together in this way (particular since the last of them diverges in such interesting ways from the Imagist 'Less is More'tradition: though he certainly 'makes it new' in accordance with that central dictum, which is even quoted in the original Chinese characters both on the cover and on the titlepage).

I thought I already knew quite a lot about American translators from classical Chinese---a whole shelf of mine already groans under their weight---but the William Carlos Williams renderings were entirely new to me, and so were some of the later Pound translations.

For this reader it's hard to contain his excitement at such a beautifully produced edition (only spoiled by a spine-label that's somehow been glued on upside down), and I recommend anyone interested in either recent American poetry or in the classical Chinese tradition to go out and buy it straight away. It will admirably complement Minford and Lau's recent historical anthology of all translations (both European and American, and both scholarly and 'creative'), which of course covers a much broader range, but which is similarly ground-breaking and enthralling to read.

This is a superb anthology several times over. First and foremost, it brings together in one book several centuries of the finest classical poetry from China, starting at the beginning with selections from "The Book of Odes" and drawing a finish line at the end of the Sung Dynasty in 1279. Pretty much all the major poets from the T'ang and Sung are represented here along with earlier masters like T'ao Ch'ien and many interesting lesser-known figures throughout. And in line with New Directions' general attitude that poems should sound like poems, the translations here all flow musically and ring harmoniously in the mind's ear.

Still, there are many other excellent anthologies of Chinese poetry as well. What really distinguishes this one is that all five of the translators are accomplished American poets in their own right. Here we find the eccentric, wildly inaccurate and yet sometimes intuitively ingenious renderings by Ezra Pound, the tersely colloquial if likewise linguistically careless versions by William Carlos Williams, the sensitive and quietly subtle though pretty much reliable verses by Kenneth Rexroth, the deeply spiritual explorations of nature with a counter-cultural edge by Gary Snyder, and finally the translations of David Hinton which alchemically combine poetic sensibility and academic acumen in a proper balance. All in one anthology.

Much more than a mere continuum of accuracy (from less to more) is to be found here, though. Looking only through the somewhat eccentric gaze of these five poet-translators also makes this book something of a history of American literature's long engagement and fascination with the Chinese poetic tradition and, more specifically, of that tradition's influence and impact on modern American poetry itself--a payoff supplemented by the editor's fine introduction discussing this phenomenon in some detail as well as rare, hard-to-find essays by the poets themselves on the subject. Taking this unusual tack also makes this book a study in the undeniably haphazard art of translation itself, for the editor frequently includes different translations of the same poem--seeing how Ezra Pound and Gary Snyder both interpreted and rendered the same original into very different English versions is pretty instructive and enlightening. In one case we are even shown how Kenneth Rexroth translated the same poems quite differently over time, once in 1956 and again in 1970. Personally I found this to be a fascinating highlight really distinctive if not utterly unique to this anthology.

So whether your primary interest is in Classical Chinese poetry or Modernist American poetry, this anthology is a modern classic in and of itself. And if you happen to be intrigued by how these two traditions interacted and entangled themselves in one of the great cultural interactions of human history, this is an indispensable book for your collection.

Bela Baliko's photographs of the Canadian Rockies are among the finest photographs I've seen of this already photogenic part of the world.

i bought it for my boyfriend, who is an aspiring chef and loves asian cuisine. he loves it - its a beautiful and inspiring book. i wouldn't recommend it for anyone who is just interested in cooking at home.

Pretty coffee table book...don't buy for the recipes unless you are a professional. I am a chef and have been at several for and five star establishments. I had the pleasure a few years ago to do a banquet with Susur and he is the real deal. Will his techniques translate to the amateur cook looking to learn from his book? No. These are professional recipes designed to be executed by a top class brigade with years of technique and time to prepare the needed mis en place. But as a professional, the way he approaches food as well as the culinary foundation that he has built for himself is unique and will be appreciated by those in the know. What isn't pretentious about a $50 coffee table book? This book gives exposure to a unique and talented chef who is grounded in solid technique and is able to translate that into well presented and balanced dishes that are not silly fusion. Definetly worth a look.

Delusions of Grandeur-Self Proclaimed "Toronto's Local Hero"

I am an intermediate level amateur cook, and pretty aware of cutting edge chefs, cooks and well written cookbooks, and Susur Lee and his book's grandiose recipes may wow small town folks and some home cooks, however he is delightfully delusional in his self importance, proclaiming himself THE "Local Hero" of Toronto, when my long time Toronto friends have not even heard of him!

I highly suggest you first read his very complex, hours long recipes, before spending good money for just 50 or so difficult and few recipes.

Chicago's Chef Charlie Trotter has similar recipes in terms of ingredients unobtainable to less than high end restaurant chefs, and may also have 20-40+ ingredients per dish, requiring an army of assistants to pull it off, however he does not have an entire book devoted to a sycophant praising his own wonderfulness. His combinations also "taste well" together in reading the ingredients, and he has books with "doable" ingredients and they are quite cookable by home cooks.

Susur credits his departed wife Marilou with his success, but others who gave him a "leg up" don't rate even a photo in this paen to his brilliance, as Susur takes back stabbing jabs at better known chefs who helped his career.

Instead of, having say instructive photographs at different stages of a complex dish's creation, he has instead chosen such childish photo selections as photos of his wonderful doodles of his own name, his hand written recipes, and doodling of a seating chart...

Does "You're Su-su vain" come to mind?

Hold that song in mind, as you smile and flick through the first 113 pages of his ego inflating toady's drivel, without even seeing one real recipe.

Oh, the recipes are in the "second" bound book, tighly bound, like a dead Siamese twin to this "first" book. So yes, he has thus published "two" books...um, sure, Susu, we're counting with you. Clever ploy; publish "Susur's Cooking Triptych" next time, and get credit for 5 books, total! (Toronto is certainly still cleaning up from the ticker tape parades for this self proclaimed "Local Hero's" creations!)

Why pay $50 (now down to $30) for only fifty some pretentious recipes, each with 25-45+ ingredients that you are more likely to laugh at, than cook... even one bloated recipe? Borrow this from Susu's large stack of "returns", or from a library, first, before buying!

Forget about "The Emperor's New Clothes"...this is the "Emperor's Trendy Cook Book!"

I do like the professionally styled photos of his creations. You or I could cook them if we had 2 assistant cooks,the strange collection of fresh ingredients, and gratuitous foie gras and black truffles added to many recipes.

Susu's has a dreadful hodgepodge of instructions and techniques, having the reader hopping between both "books" to cobble together a dish, and there's no Table of Contents to organize this chaotic collection.

He knows cooking techniques. I'd happily dine at his restaurant. Teaching techniques by a book is another story. For beginning and intermediate cooks, the cooking techniques that he glides over are far, far better explained in many cookbooks that the professional chefs already consult.

Some well thumbed cookbook/testbooks include "On Cooking Techniques from Expert Chefs"-Labensky, "Essentials of Cooking"-James Peterson, Jacques Pepin's "Complete Techniques", "La Varenne Pratique"- Anne Willan"The Zuni Cafe"-Rodgers, "The New Making of a Cook"-Kamman, "Glorious French Cooking"-Peterson, "Modern Art of Chinese Cooking"-Trop, "The Key to Chinese Cooking"-Kuo, etc.

Big Propblem is...home cooks, without two helpers, will be very frustrated by the hard to find ingredients and the time consuming, convoluted recipes in this cookbook.

Try making Susur's "Pan-roasted scallops, with sunchoke puree, pancetta, periwinkles in truffle sauce and preserved lemon".

Hmmm, if someone mixing up 1000 snippets of culinary nouns in a hat, then let a trained gerbil randomly pick out, then line up the first 10 to 15 words that came out... the resulting recipe titles may even be more appealing to you and I than Susur's convoluted "con-Fusion" titles that easily awe rookie foodwriters and rookie cooks...

Make his "Elk striploin with yamaimo, arame, uni, with burnt butter soy sauce", (40+ ingredients) or try "Braised veal cheek, with parsnip puree, cocoa nibs, grapes stuffed with dry-cured olives, and parmesan (also with over 40 ingredients).

Maybe the "Tuna with wasabi and parsnip mousse on cucumber jelly with crispy squid ink noodle" would whet your whistle. I'd rather go to the grocery store and make "Spiced seaweed crusted red mullet with saffron mayonnaiase and zuchini flower fritters".

A memorable dish is "Roast squab and foie gras stuffed squab legs in port sauce, with lotus root and baby corn, blueberry preserve, and taro root fritters" (>30 ingredients).

Step aside, Charlie Trotter, you've been "out Trottered" by Susu and his caramelized nuts...

For the amusement value, the professionally styled photos of plates that would leave most folks hungry from the tiny portions, and the sad need for the dramatic Napoleonic pose and prose by the self proclaimed "Local Hero of Toronto"... I still give him 3 stars...it takes guts (braised with cocoa, blueberry and truffle oil), to be so sweet and childlike in his vanity!

Given the acidity of previous reviews, let me start with some background on myself: I am an American not resident in Canada; I am a non-professional chef -- I cook for myself, my family and my friends. I love food, both from the philosophy that one can learn the history of a country or region by learning about its cuisine and from the perspective that I truly believe we are what we eat ... and the miserable record of American health and longevity is directly due to the poor quality of what we consume.

I first saw Susur on Food Network's "Chef du Jour", where well-regarded chefs would do a single 30 minute program on a topic of their choice. That was at least 8 years ago. I think he may have been on one or two "Ready, Set, Cook" programs, but I'm not certain. He certainly didn't push to become a "celebrity chef", at least in the TV sense. He did become a celebrity in the culinary world: becoming one of Food & Wine's "10 Best Chefs in the World" is not a self-serving proclamation -- it is an evaluation by those who can and do taste the food of all the best and near-best.

I've had the good fortune to have an expense account and a business that required me to take clients to dinner, so I've had the privilege of eating at many of the finest restaurants in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. My personal opinion is that Susur belongs among the finest and if in Toronto, it would be my first choice of a dining location -- yes, even if I were paying the bill myself -- some meals are worth every penny of the cost.

I've eaten at his restaurant in Toronto many times, on business trips. The food has always been spectacular, along with the service, along with the description of the philosophy behind each dish. A meal at Susur's not only satisfies the body; it's an education in itself. Again, this is not simply my opinion -- read the reviews in Toronto's newspapers, or read the reviews and look at the scores in zagat.com. Susur isn't the only "great chef" in Toronto, but he is clearly in that category.

Finally, to the book itself: Yes, the binding is unusual), as is the organization (would I count it as 2 books -- no -- do I think that volume 1 as a biography and volume 2 as recipes are two very different works -- absolutely yes). Most chefs don't provide a personal biography and discuss the evolution of their philosophy of cuisine. If you want lots of recipes you can make with ingredients found anywhere, there are thousands of such cookbooks to choose from (start with Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meals" and go from there). On the other hand, if you want to learn about how to layer flavors, and see how a master puts together a pantry, this is the book to read. The same advice (for flavor, you need sauces, pastes, and other preps) is given by most chefs in cooking courses and is found in lots of other cookbooks -- just to mention a few in Chinese, try Barbara Tropp's "China Moon Cookbook", Nina Simonda "Spoonful of Ginger", Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's "From the Earth" or Emily Grace's "Breath of a Wok". Susur's are more complex, and more subtle, but taste the food and you'll see how it transcends anyone else's.

Is this a book I will cook from daily? No, and Susur is the first to admit that his cuisine needs a tremendous amount of manpower to achieve. Will this book teach me to be a better chef? Absolutely. Will it have a place of honor in my kitchen? Assuredly. Study it, think about it, and learn from it ... and if you have the opportunity, go to Toronto ... and taste it.

This book its all about creativity by a man who has been over looked for too many years as one of the worlds Top Chefs. This book is in one simple word "Awesome"

I got this book as a gift and skimmed it before giving it to the couple. Every recipe was interesting and looked tasty. I always look for cookbooks that have lots of pictures and this one delivered. They even had bacon desserts that looked appetizing as well. A definite bet for every bacon lover.

mmmmm....BACON!

This book is but an adjunct to any self-respecting (bacon) cook...I found it interesting, for the most part. I suppose it does make a fine (but lightweight) addition to my massive collection...but then...who doesn't know how to cook bacon?

In response to the prior review, there's definitely much more here than just instructions on how to cook bacon -- the book includes recipes using bacon in all different kinds of dishes, even dessert, believe it or not! I always find James Villas's books to be thorough and well-written, and this one is no exception -- definitely a great gift for a bacon-lover!

I wanted to understand how Chinese American Males feel and think about their asian culture. Do they embrace or tried to break away. And this book offered interesting experiences with each of the character. I can easily identify why the characters in the book make the choice to define their role living as a ABC. We all want to make a mark in this World and this is what the stories is all about.

Ah the plight of the Canadian Born Chinese (CBC) male who lives between two worlds. He envies the Chinese FOBs (Fresh Off the Boat) who all seem to have a lot of money and the latest fashions. He envies Asian women of any birth right who seem to only date white men. Can he get no respect? One would be tempted to call this the Asian Male Joy Luck Club but that comparison might make the author have fits.

The author does seem to dwell a little over much on white men/asian women coupling and seems to think the readers cares to hear time and time again what the author's favorite beer and favorite bands are.

Once you get past that, it's ultimately offering a fresh, funny perspective and worth the read.

I'm the type to read 2 or 3 novels in a year. They usually take a lot of time and effort to get through.

Getting throught the almost 400 pages of Banana Boys though, took almost a week and a half; and I couldn't read fast enough. Each of the 5 main characters is a foil of modern Asian Canadian angst. At the same time each character's story animates the larger narrative. This story is not just for Bananas - yellow on the outside, white in the middle. This book is for everyone searching to find out how they and their peers are melting into the modern Canadian mosaic.

Highly recommended reading.

The 256 pages of this novel provide such depths and insight into each character, the lives and toils of a family, and the conflicts that we all face, more or less, at some point within our lives. It's rare for a novel to provoke such contemplation and emotions within the reader, but The End of East manages to do so effortlessly and throughout its entirety. Get the tissues ready, and be prepared to look at your own existence -- I know I did.

I was unsure of this novel at first, but I enjoyed it more and more as I continued to read. By the end, I found that I was satisfied, and that I had enjoyed the time I spent reading.

The relationships between the characters are bittersweet, shaded with self-sacrifice, family responsibility, cultural divides, misunderstandings, prejudice and ultimately, love. As is life.

It was a quick read- it would be a good book to take along on a trip.

Now a respected professor and novelist in Canada, Wayson Choy was 57 years old in 1999 when he learned that he had been adopted. This memoir is a result of that discovery and, even though some family secrets do get discovered, by the end of this 342 page-book, he and the reader understand that much of his suppressed family history will never be completely uncovered.

I did enjoy the story itself, however, which deals almost exclusively with his childhood years. Born in Vancouver in 1939, his memory of those early ears and his simple descriptions put me right into the young boy's mind.. He's the only child of hard-working Chinese immigrants in the land they refer to as Golden Mountain. Chinatown in those years was a world unto itself, and the young boy was loved and cherished by his parents as well as a large assortment of "uncles" whose own families were still back in China.

Through his eyes we see the elaborate Chinese operas, which were transported to Canadian soil, and which his mother always enjoyed. We see his early encounters with English books and his strong will to learn to read. We see him go to a Canadian nursery school and learn about the Christian religion. We understand his Chinese roots and the many ghosts and spirits that are part of his Chinese culture. We meet his dog and have to laugh at the way this loving pet took over his life. Chinatown becomes real for the reader and so does the boy's obsession with cowboys and refusal to go to a traditional Chinese school. Most of the book was devoted to this very detailed portrait. Basically, this childhood was filled with love and little trauma.

It was only in the last couple of chapters when we join him in his quest for his family secrets. This is written in the same simple style and delves deeper into the history of his family's experience in China as well as the new world. We'll never know most of the story. But we do get to share his growing-up years and learn about the forces that shaped his world.

In anticipation of the lunar new year, I picked up this book. The author had me under his spell by the second page. In his memoir of growing up in the 1940's, as the son of Chinese immigrants in Vancouver's Chinatown, the reader learns that Mr. Choy, while on a promotional book tour in 1995, received a call from a woman who says that she just saw his mother. But his Toisanese mother died nearly two decades earlier, he tells the mysterious caller. No, the caller replies, she means his `real mother.' And so the memoir and the mystery begin. In descriptive language that is hypnotic and nearly as haunting as a ghost filled home his family lived in, an extremely detailed portrait of his life as a young boy is drawn. In Part 1, his pre-school years are filled with family, Chinglish, mah-jong, lots of single "uncles" to take him for ice cream, nightly Chinese operas (his mother's version are a permanent barrier against pessimism), cowboy films, and his assertively willful tantrums. In Part 2, the author writes of his school years, English and Chinese lessons, stubbornness, truancy, confusion, helplessness, his pet dog, the humiliations his father endured at work, and the other concerns of children. In the last third of the book, Mr. Choy returns as an adult to the mystery of his and explores the hidden secrets of his family. Upon close reading, one learns about the stress of living as an Asian in North America during the War, a time when burials were only allowed in Asian-only cemeteries, when sick Asians were housed in the basement of the hospital, when Asians were offered payments to return to Asia if they promised never to return, and when men were not allowed to bring their families or wives over to the Gold Mountain from across the Pacific. On even closer reading, one can discern how different Chinese identities were crafted in North America by his grandfather, his parents, and finally himself in an in-between'ness third generation.

I have mixed feelings about _Midnight athte Dragon Cafe_. I absolutely loved Bates' command of language and her languid, conversational tone as her character, Su-Jen narrates. The moods and emotions were so clearly expressed, I really felt I was with Su-Jen as she wrestled with the challenges and secrets she discovered through the course of the book.

While I appreciated the gradual maturation of Su-Jen, her growing awareness of the wider world around her, and the secrets her family held, I really felt that the story didn't hit its stride until the final quarter of the book. Even when the book did hit its stride and plot points began to come together, the resolution to the myriad of conflicts were ultimately unstisfying. I had anticipated a stronger finish, given the repeated references to Su-Jen's fate and the constant tension between family members. I also think the underlying message Bates was suggesting - is it possible to forgive ourselves - could have been much more developed. I enjoyed the writing, but the story itself warrants only 3 stars.

I recently finished this book and loved the way it was written, the use of language, the lessons of enduring truths of humanity, etc. It was very touching and I loved it. I read it aloud to my 16-year-old son. We have read a lot of books but now I'm stuck and need a recommendation on what to read next.

What can I say, this book lacked all the details I wanted to read, and was pretty darn predictable to boot. I could tell that it was written by a foreigner because it never contained any "advanced" vocabulary. Always just kept mentioning the same food and the same feelings and the same blah blah blah...Enough. I'm done with this thing!

With a quiet, unassuming elegance, Canadian-Chinese author Judy Fong-Bates sets the scene for her highly applauded debut novel, 'Midnight at the Dragon Cafe'.

Perhaps this story touched me more acutely than most of its readers, as it called to mind what my father and his parents must have experienced during and after their immigration from Hong Kong to a little town in Canada in the mid-1950s. Every word to me was genuine, haunting, compelling...

Little Su-Jen Chou (at the tender age of six), along with her beautiful yet bitter mother, immigrates to Canada from Communist China, to meet the father she has never known. A father who is the proprietor of the local Canadian-Chinese "greasy spoon". With Su-Jen mother constantly haunted with yearnings for her homeland, unpleasant family secrets uncovered, and the trials and challenges they face in a new and often-times unwelcoming land, Fong-Bates weaves a story full of heartbreak, tribulation and acceptance.

Poignant in its simplicity and yet weighty in its inner complexities, 'Midnight at the Dragon Cafe' explores many social issues of the time, along with the disappointments, the pride, the sacrifices, and the triumphs of those who immigrated to Canada in search of something "better". Compelling and well written, Fong-Bates stunning first novel deserves a heaping spoonful of praise.

I am a fourth generation Chinese American living in California. I loved this well written, lyrical and engaging book, and recommend it to all. I have not read much about the Chinese-Canadian immigrant experience, and this book was very rewarding in terms of telling the story of the Chinese in Canada in the background of the main story line. The characters are extremely vivid in the book, and one really cares about Su-Jen (aka Annie) right away. The author does a very good job of sketching the lonely life of this isolated Chinese family in this small Canadian town. I particularly felt she handled incidents of racial discrimination experienced by the sensitive Annie during elementary school very poignantly. You really feel for this little Chinese girl, stuck between this lovely unhappy mother, a frustrated and good looking half brother, a traditional but kindly father, and her Canadian white classmates. It is a great read.