ℙ𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕤𝕠𝕞 𝕊𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘
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.
Today I’m on the blog tour for Peach Blossom Spring and I’m honestly not sure I can do this fantastic book justice in my review!
This is an epic tale and centres around Dao Meilin and her son Renshu. We start in 1938 in Hunan Province and World War 2 is raging across the world, Meilin and young Renshu learn the misfortunes and grief of war very quickly. They have to move as the enemy gets closer and brother-in-law Longwei sorts them travel along with his wife and children. A lot of the families moving is done by foot, walking for miles and miles.
They reach relative safety but soon have to move on again.
Meilin and Renshu eventually arrive in Taipei, Taiwan. They have made new friends and settle into a shared home with them. After a while they have to move on again. To help her son cope with all these horrors and changes Meilin tells him stories using a beautiful, ancient scroll. The scroll travels with them always until one day a difficult decision has to be made.
Renshu leaves school with exceptional grades and leaves his mother for the first time to study in America where he changes his name to Henry Dao. His past and it’s horrors never leave him and he struggles to fit in.
This book is just beautiful! The story that weaves through generations and countries is so well told and written almost as if Meilin herself is telling us one of her stories.
So emotional and powerful, there were many tears shed reading this!! I’m still thinking about the story now.
I encourage everyone to read it, it’s just stunning. A full 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 from me.

I loved the writing and the immersion of folk tales / stories in the narrative, but tbh, it struck too close to home with all the war and immigration . Ive gone through it in my childhood and with all the Ukraine things going on, I felt a bit overwhelmed and couldnt go through some parts. But overall, a great and insightful read.

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu.


This was a wonderful read, Melissa Fu is a incredible storyteller.


The book opens in China in 1938 and closes in 2005 in the US following one family across three generations and across continents, interweaving Chinese culture and fables with modern Chinese history.

In 1938 in China, Meilin is young, married and has plans and dreams for the future. When the Japanese army encroach on her town, she has to flee her home with her four year old son, Renshu. They can only take what they can carry and they have to travel across their war torn country. Their search for refuge and a home takes them across China to Shangai and then to Taiwan. War and destruction always chasing them.
The second part of the book sees Renshu, move to the US on a graduate programme. Renshu finds stability , love and friendship but his life is heavily conflicted by his history of displacement and loss and he is on the other side of the world from his mother Meilin.

This was a really well woven, gorgeous book of love, family, war, identity and migration. Meilin is one of the best characters I have read in a long time, her resilience, wisdom and strength will stay with me. I also, learned a lot when reading, I found myself putting the book down, to google and read more about China's history in the 20th century. I loved how the the author shared the modern history of the country through this family's story and enjoyed reading about the fables Meilin shared with Renshu , when she wanted to distract, comfort or entertain him. Reading Renshu's life from early childhood to late adulthood offered such a detailed view of how our past impacts on our lives and all written with detail, authenticity and warmth.

A timely book too, it was impossible not to draw parallels with the current horror taking place in Ukraine and how the acts of powerful men can rain horror on ordinary citizens, trauma that will carry through generations.

Very much recommend this book, beautifully written, memorable characters. It will stay with me.

4.5 rounded up to 5 .

READ MY REVIEW

Cover: The blue one is lovely. Not that taken by the pink one.

Another debut, another brilliant writer who blew me away and instilled some peaceful moments in a—frankly—hectic week. I haven’t been able to do anything at all, too busy dealing with a looming deadline and other obligations; Fu’s novel has been a quiet port in the storm.

Let me be as clear as possible here: Fu’s stronger point is her style. It’s beautiful, with a unique pacing and a rhythm that amazed me from start to finish. It’s lyrical, almost poetic, and yet precise. I mean, I can’t believe Peach Blossom Spring is her first novel: Fu proves to be a top-notch wordsmith already, achieving quality levels other authors can only dream of—yeah, even the more experienced ones.

The story itself is complex and intricate, but it still reads as realistic as possible. Again, thanks to Fu’s writing style, the slow cadence enhances the plot rather than hindering it. MC-wise, kudos to the characterization of Meilin: her voice comes to life from the get-go, and I prefer hers to Renshu’s. More poignant? Maybe so.

Of course, Peach Blossom Spring features a big cast of characters, which is maybe its weaker trait; while I loved Meilin and Renshu, as I said, I had a bit of a hard time keeping track with everyone else, especially at the beginning. It sort of smoothers down along the way, though.

From a technical standpoint, I can only cheer in the general direction of Fu’s editors. No mistakes, no overwhelming descriptions, no unnecessary info. Thumbs up, everyone.

4,5 stars on GR.

The story of a multi generation family, spanning over 70 years. It starts during the war between Japan and China. A family trying to move on from the past and hoping for a better future. Heart breaking and moving. An amazing debut novel.

This is an incredible debut novel, beautifully written and captivating from beginning to end. It is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve read it and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

It is the story of three generations of one Chinese family beginning in 1938 as the family flees China following the Japanese invasion, moves to Taiwan and then to the US. Spanning over 60 years it covers a lot but it such a compelling read that I flew through it. It is a shining example of historical fiction that successfully weaves real events and folk tales into a truly compelling work of fiction, with characters who are wholly engaging and whose struggles to find their identity take the reader on a truly emotional journey. I loved learning more about Chinese history and the fact that it is inspired by Fu’s own family history makes it all the more moving - what can I say other than go read it.

“The scroll – its miraculous existence, its never-ending beauty – is a well of hope.”

Peach Blossom Spring is the story of three generations of the Dao family, beginning in 1938 when Meilin and her four year old son Renshu flee their Changsha home to escape the Japanese. One of the few things they carry with them is a beautiful scroll depicting various Chinese tales, and whenever things are especially hard Meilin brings out this scroll and tells Renshu one of the stories. One thing about the scroll is you roll it up as you go, so only one story is visible at a time, and Renshu’s life becomes a bit compartmentalized in the same way as he grows up and immigrates to a completely new continent. I don’t really want to say much more about the story itself because I really enjoyed “unrolling” it.

I really, really loved this book. The writing is rich and evocative, there is such a sense of place and the characterisation is fantastic. There are many serious and tragic events but it never becomes melodramatic. It’s like someone is telling you a story, much like Meilin tells Renshu stories. I liked how we got to hear the Chinese tales – they are real ones, not made up for the story – that really added to the atmosphere and authenticity. I believe the author got some inspiration from her own family history, although she makes it clear in the acknowledgments that it’s not a true story.

I liked the parts set in China best, especially as I loved Meilin. She was such a strong, calm, sweet character who met all difficulties with courage. I really enjoyed getting to know her and I was a bit sorry when we followed Renshu to America. However, Renshu’s experiences are what pull the story together and a main focus is how he tries to reconcile his two lives. Is he Dao Renshu, or is he Henry Dao, the name he has taken for his life in America? I enjoyed going on that journey with him.

I highly recommend this novel, it’s one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. I plan to purchase the audiobook at some point so that I can enjoy it all over again.

I’d like to thank the publishers, Headline, and Netgalley for providing me with an advance release copy, I really appreciate it.

Very intrigued by the premise, and the writing is very good, but unfortunately didn't grab me. Would still recommend giving it a go if the synopsis intrigues.

‘To know a story is to carry it always, etched in his bones, even if dormant for decades. Tell us, they insist. To tell a story, he realises, is to plant a seed and let it grow.’

My thanks to Headline Wildfire for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Peach Blossom Spring’ by Melissa Fu in exchange for an honest review.

Fu’s debut novel is a sweeping family saga set in China, Taiwan, and the USA.

The novel opens in 1938 China as the Japanese army are advancing. A young mother, Meilin, is forced to flee her burning city with her four-year-old son, Renshu, and embark on an epic journey across China and eventually settling in Taiwan.

Their most treasured possession is a beautifully illustrated hand scroll; its ancient fables offer solace and wisdom as they travel through their ravaged country, seeking refuge.

Years later Renshu has moved to America and taken the name Henry Dao. He meets Rachel, a librarian, and eventually they marry and have a daughter, Lily. As she grows up Lily becomes desperate to understand her heritage, but her father refuses to talk about his childhood.

‘Peach Blossom Spring’ spans continents and decades and utilises the story of one family to chronicle the tumultuous history of modern China as well as the Chinese-American experience.

In her Acknowledgements Melissa Fu advises that she had wanted to write about her father’s fruit trees and to celebrate “the abundance and happiness my father eventually found”. Still, she stresses that even though “its characters and my family travelled along many of the same roads, the story is primarily a work of my imagination.”

While I wasn’t aware of the genesis of the novel while reading, it was clear that Melissa Fu had taken care to present the story of these three generations with sensitivity. As in most family sagas there are failures and triumphs, both heartbreaking and heartwarming moments.

Overall, ‘Peach Blossom Spring’ proved a beautifully written novel infused with lyrical imagery, wisdom, and compassion.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I received an ARC of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I hav read many book set in China but mainly focused on discrimination against women. This is my first book set in a time of conflict. I have to admit to finiding it pretty hard going at first but as I was drawn into the story telling that accompanied the narrative of war I was charmed by the way the author unfolded a history of time and place.

The narrative is multi faceted and alongside the stories of a generation (or two), the struggles of a whole group of peoples there is something immensely personal. The fear that underpin's Henry's life even when he lives in relative safety. the fear of non-conformity and how this impacts on the way he raises his daughter was drawn out so well.

The characters speak to the reader. I particularly liked Meilin.

There were, as I say parts where I struggled and where I thought the author could have abbreviated the storyline. I have wavered between a 3 and 4 star rating but will go with 4

It’s hard to believe that Peach Blossom Spring is Melissa Fu’s debut. It is an astonishing piece of work - a sweeping novel across generations and continents that takes you right into her story and alongside her utterly believable characters.
The story starts as Meilin starts her married life with Dao Xiaowen. They have a son, Renshu, but the Japanese/Chinese war means that he is sent away to fight. Soon the war is on their doorstep and Meilin and other family member must flee for their lives to find somewhere safer to live. This epic novel follows Meilin and then Renshu over the years as they finally settle in Taiwan in relative safety. The dangers and sacrifices they have gone through have taken their toll, however. It becomes a story of identity and belief in your heritage as Renshu tries to leave his past behind while he forges a new life in America. As the years go past his daughter Lily finally forces him to face his old life and embrace where he came from.
It might be trite to say that a novel has taken you on a journey but it is really true in the case of Peach Blossom Spring, each of the 3 main characters are so beautifully drawn and have such compelling story arcs that it is easy to get completely lost in their worlds. This is a novel that I will be recommending to everyone. Thank you to #netgalley and #headlinepg for allowing me to review this ARC

This is a beautifully written novel about three generations of a Chinese family trying to find their place in the world. The text transported me to an era and region I knew little about. I loved the lead characters and the way the tale evolved.

Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure, this is a delightful read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.

What a beautiful debut from Melissa Fu. I was engrossed with this book which spans over seven decades and looks at the lives of three generations of the one family.

It starts off in China in the late 1930s and details the chaos and challenges endured by Meilin as she struggles to keep her son Renshu safe over the following twenty years. It then explores the family's time in Taiwan and Renshu's subsequent move to the US. As someone who knows very little about the history of China and the independent struggle of Taiwan, I found the historical part of the book very interesting and it has encouraged me to do some outside reading on these subjects. The book does not engage in this history heavily but it is interwoven well into the plot. It is written about in a way that seems familiar to real life when normal civilians are discussing the politics of their country in a generalised manner.

I found the use of the scroll by Meilin to be my favourite parts of the book. The stories that accompanied the scroll were thought provoking and I enjoyed attempting to visualise the scroll. I would absolutely love to see such a scroll.

The ending was perfect! There was a lot of sadness but I felt the ending was appropriate to the story. It felt realistic unlike a lot of book endings I have read recently.

Wow! Absolutely loved this. It was a slow read for me, but on reflection I would would said leisurely and considered. Beautifully written and felt so authentic.

This is the story of three generations of a Chinese family set against the backdrop of life-changing historical conflict. Shamefully, I know very little about this period of time in China and I learnt so much. I am grateful for the opportunity to have read a story which is so captivating. Each character is thoughtfully drawn out and developed to be so individual and complex and changed by their life experiences: the incredible Meilin, such a brave survivor in the face of devastating adversity; Renshu/Henry, her son who lives his whole life in the shameful shadow of his heritage; and Lily, his inquisitive daughter determined not to be held back by her father's reticence.

The ending is just perfect. This is a story which meanders and deviates, but in such a gentle way that I cannot believe the adventures I have had with this family: the stories I have heard and the lives I have led. I was fascinated by the cultural pride, which leaves Henry 'drowning in shame' and ultimately terrified to live his life the way he wants to. He is exiled from his own mother in search of something better but held back by his own fears to grasp life as it presents itself. Lily tries to search for who she is and where she comes from, is hungry to know and understand her heritage. It is only as a young woman that her father's reluctance is overcome and Lily begins to glimpse at the past from which she originated.

I have already said that this felt authentic, and the author's notes at the end did not surprise me. Whilst this is a work of fiction, it is based on the truth and history of Fu's own family.

What a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful journey - thank you for the opportunity to read this captivating narrative!

This is an enlightening and really interesting journey through relatively recent events in Chinese history, starting with the Sino-Japanese war in the thirties and covering the civil war which eventually led to Mao Zedong’s victory over the Nationalists. It is also the heart-felt story of Meilin and Renshu – mother and son- who found themselves thrown into these turbulent times.

They leave their home town fleeing from the Japanese advances and get caught up in the fighting between Nationalists and Communists. As refugees, they move around in their home country and - being linked to the Nationalists through previous wealth and other family members – eventually seek safety in Taiwan. This is where Meilin builds a new home for herself and Renshu, who later receives a scholarship from a university in the States, studies there and starts his own family.

It is striking however that even this part of Renshu’s life is dominated by the past; he is forever worried that these events could still catch up with him and threaten the life he has carved out for himself. For this reason, Renshu is in complete denial of his Chinese roots, which means that he also denies his daughter Lily her heritage, leaving her insecure and without a sense of belonging and identity. Meilin’s death and Renshu’s and Lily’s subsequent visit to Taiwan eventually release emotions that set him free and allow him to open up to his daughter, who receives the most precious gift from him – her heritage.

Their family story is beautifully narrated and is threaded around the stories of an ancient scroll, one of the few possessions Meilin rescued from her home. On their journey through life, this valuable scroll gives them hope and inner peace through storytelling. The lessons learnt help them to cope with whatever life throws at them. They find their own life reflected in a story that teaches them ‘We can only unroll it one scene at a time. We have to get going to see what the next one is’. Another story from the scroll encourages them to seek the blessing in their misfortune: ’Within every misfortune there is a blessing, and within every blessing the seeds of misfortune’. With this lesson in mind, they manage to make sense of their disrupted lives. The key tale on the scroll however shares its title with this book, Peach Blossom Spring’ - its symbolism carries Meilin’s and Renshu’s story from the beginning to the end and I feel richer for having witnessed it.

This is a story really well told – I enjoyed every twist and turn of it.
I am grateful to NetGalley and Wildfire / Headline Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Another one of those books, that left me too stunned and speechless.

Peach Blossom Spring is an incredible novel about human spirit, hope and resilience in the wake of war, devastation and inconceivable loss.

Synopsis -

Beginning in 1938, in the Changsha region of China, this is an epic saga spanning over 3 generations across continents. Young Meilin’s dream of a prosperous future is shattered when Japan invades China. Forced to flee her home with her 4 year old son Renshu, they have an excruciating journey through China and Taiwan. Thanks to some stability in the city of Taipei, Renshu studies hard and emigrates to the US to become a scholar. But can he ever be free from the clutches of his past? Will he be able to pass on his heritage and legacy to his daughter?

Review -

With so much spotlight surrounding WWII books, this was a welcoming change. Having known nothing about China’s history, it a great opportunity to learn about the 2nd Sino Japanese war and the civil war of China.

Following Meilin and Renshu’s near nomadic life, we come to understand them deeply. With constant fear & shadow of death, amidst the immense grief, loss & darkness that surrounds them, I loved how Meilin’s precious scroll full of ancient legends, becomes their only sanctuary & refuge. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories full of wisdom that were narrated by Meilin.

Oh how I adore this woman! How can one be so gentle, fragile, kind, yet possess a heart made of stone, full of fire, passion and optimism? Meilin’s strength, perseverance, resourcefulness and mental fortitude to protect her son and her family’s legacy, simply blew me away.

I admired Renshu’s diligence, caution, devotion towards his mother and his ability to stay grounded while he grew up and flourished in the US. I could only empathize with him as his traumatic childhood and past seeped into every aspect of his life, coloring his relationship with his daughter and wife.

Fu’s writing is lilting and blissful as she brings Chinese culture, traditions, the spices and aromas of Meilin’s culinary skills to life. She marvellously captures life’s unfairness & betrayal, as well as the harsh realities of emigration and finding a “home”.

As Fu describes the meaning of the title towards the end, this subtle and nuanced, yet powerful and poignant story, makes you contemplate your "curses & blessings", leaving its mark, tugging at your heart strings.

Don’t miss out on this gem if you love historical fiction!

Thanks Headline & Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu
‘The story ends when there is nothing more to strive after. There is no more wanting. There is only the fullness of blossom, the caress of a breeze, a sky joyous with blue. This moment. This now. This peach blossom spring.’
Why do I start my review at the end, with this beautiful quote; it is because this is what this book is for me. It is about finding your peace, finding your place in the world and calling it home.
In 1938, a young Meilin flees her home in China with her young son Renshu, as the Japanese advance towards her burning city. Years of desolation follow; the most terrible and tragic losses, moving from place to place, Meilin’s instinct to survive and protect her only son is what keeps her moving forward.
Years later an escape for Renshu (now Henry), through study and hard work, our story takes us to America, he is successful in his work endeavours, but he can never reconcile his past, the fear that he will be dragged back looms large and the guilt of leaving his mother is suffocating.
His daughter Lily, feels the weight of his loss and strives to understand, but Henry has closed down that part of who he is. His denial of his heritage threatens to break the bond of father and daughter.
Spanning 70 years, 3 generations and some of the most tumultuous times in China’s history, an ambitious endeavour which has been perfectly accomplished. In no small part because this beautifully told story began when Melissa Fu started writing about her own father; in her own words “Peach Blossom Spring is fiction. Although its characters and my family travelled many of the same roads, the story is primarily a work of my imagination”. You can feel that deep rooted personal connection in her prose, this book sings because of it.
A stunning debut; a book that examines the generational shift of the immigrant experience to perfection. From Meilin’s acceptance, to Renshu’s denial, fear and shame to Lily’s understanding and her hope for the future.
A story that also examines the power of a story; what they mean to each of us, how they are told and the weight that they carry. A story that I would recommend you read.

This is Melissa Fu’s debut novel and I found it to be an excellent read. When I was in school and through my early life I really wasn’t interested in history, but now I really enjoy reading and learning about the past. So if you want to learn about China’s history while reading a great book then this is the one for you. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to have to keep packing up and leaving your home with the bare minimum, but Meilin did it time and again with such grace while still being a good mum to Renshu. I think reading this book now was even more poignant due to what’s happening in Europe right now. Thank you to NetGalley and Headline, Wildfire for letting me read and review this book.

I have to say Peach Blossom Spring is one of my top reads for 2022. I felt as if I was on a journey through this book, walking with Meilin and Renshu as they tried to find safety and freedom from the advancing Japanese army.
It was even more poignant for the situation currently in the Ukraine and the millions of refugees fleeing war. The parallels for the fleeing families are clear to see. Meilin, like any mother, sacrifices to ensure that her son is safe and well.
If you enjoy epic novels, sweeping decades, influenced by the history of the time, then this book is for you. 5 star all the way.

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of the ebook in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first half more than second, found it quite slow in places but I did enjoy the writing and story overall. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.