Sorry this book just wasn’t for me. Nothing to do with the writer or the way it is writen it is purely because it’s not my usual genre, I wanted to try books which I normally wouldn’t read. Thank you to publisher and Netgalley.

Peach Blossom Spring is a remarkably written novel of a young mother, Meilin, who loses her husband to the war and how she later against all odds, protects and provides for her son Renshu. Their hardships and struggles are so well depicted and described with such raw honesty that at times brought tears to my eyes.

This novel gives the reader lots to ponder on, simple joys in life that we many times take for granted, family ties and bonds that cant be broken so easily severed and the love of a mother for her child that at times words are not sufficient to describe.

Highly recommended.

I would like to thank NetGalley for this opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This a beautifully powerful story I couldnt out it down and i loved every bit of it from the story to the characters to the setting

Oh wow. I have just reluctantly laid down my Kindle having finished this novel and already I’m regretting reading it so quickly. I want to slip back inside the wonderful world Melissa Fu has created and spend more time with Henry, Lily and Meilin.
I was a teenager when I read Jung Chang’s Wild Swans for the first time and ever since the history of modern China has fascinated and saddened me in equal measure. The turmoil the country faced for so many decades, long after Western Europe had been at war, when we in the west were buying microwave ovens and VCRs so many Chinese families were still split and so many citizens lived in fear of discovery, of what they may not even have known. What I didn’t know however was anything of the history of Taiwan and of the families who left the mainland for its sanctuary. Peach Blossom spring helped to fill in this gap in my knowledge and has inspired me to look for other books on the subject.
Fu’s writing is typically Chinese. Poetic, soft and gentle covering all the evils of the world in a silk veil that doesn’t completely hide what lies beneath but muffles it, covers it in something beautiful as Meilin did when telling Renshu and Liling the stories from the scroll.
There is an honesty in the writing that means your empathy for each character becomes strong and understanding. No one is a hero or a villain in this story, people are simply doing their best with what they have, what they know and what they can cope with.
There is so much in this novel to ponder over, familial bonds and responsibilities, emigration and loyalty to both home and adoptive countries but always with a great sense of acceptance and looking to the future.
I really look forward to Ms Fu’s next novel, at least I hope there is one to look forward to!

Beautifully written and brought me to tears. 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. It's about the power of our past, the hope for a better future, and the search for a place to call home. Top marks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️