Discover other books like this, author exclusives, and more. The concubines children the story of a family living on two sides of the globe book. Denise chongs family memoir delves into the story of her grandmother a concubine purchased by her grandfather when she was only 17. The author wrote the book in an attempt to better educate herself about her. The eagerlyawaited new book by denise chong, author of the awardwinning, national bestseller, the concubines children. The concubines children by denise chong, includes personal. Portrait of a family divided is a nonfiction book written by chinesecanadian writer denise chong, first published in january 1995. It is the story of her grandmother may ying the concubine and her mother hing, and their life in the denise chong, writer, public servant, political advisor b at vancouver, bc 9 june 1953. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the concubines children by denise chong. Denise chong, author of the concubine s children, on librarything. In her first book, chong reconstructs the story of her mothers chinese and chinesecanadian family, skillfully mixing social history with family biography. The concubines children is chongs first book, which she compiled from letters, photographs and memory. The girl in the picture was a finalist for the governor general s literary award, as was her memoir, the concubines children.
Buy the concubines children 1st american ed by denise chong isbn. The concubines children study guide contains comprehensive summaries and analysis of the book. Complete summary of denise chong s concubine s children. Buy a cheap copy of the concubines children book by denise chong. She lives in ottawa with her husband and two children. This is a biography of three generations of a chinesecanadian family. Concubines children by denise chong 19950 denise chong on. Chongs maternal side, and details how this side of her family was divided between china and canada. The concubines children by denise chong free coursework. Carefully balancing cool observation and compassion, chong writes extraordinary history and gives voice to the chinese immigrant experience. The concubines children, by denise chong, is a true story about a chinese family and how both physical and emotional distance can tear generations of families apart. Denise chong is the author of the concubines children viking and penguin, abookofthemonth club selection.
Denise chongs second major book, the girl in the picture 2000, is the biography of kim phuc, a vietnamese girl who was terribly burned in a napalm attack in 1972. Using letters, public archives, interviews, and her mothers own memories, chong creates a history rich in physical detail and emotional nuance. Denise chongs the concubines children is an epic biography of a chinese family working in gold mountain in the early 1900s in an effort to uplift their familys standard of living back home in the small village of chang gar bin, situated in chinas south. Concubine s children by denise chong 19950 denise chong on. Lives of the family by denise chong overdrive rakuten. The awardwinning book has been called an astonishing tale written in clear and unflinching pro. The concubines children, by denise chong, is a true story about a chinese family and how both physical and emotional distance can tear generations of families. The concubines children paperback 1996 author denise chong paperback january 1, 1996. In her first book in a decade, beloved author denise chong, tells the story of a man who humiliated a repressive regime in front of the entire world, and whose daring gesture informs our view of human rights to this day. The concubines children book vancouver public library.
Concubines children isbn 9780143192091 pdf epub denise. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Because of the importance of the canadian historical research in chongs first book, a memoir of her family, the concubines children, she has become renowned as a writer and commentator on canadian history and on the family. She is the editor of the penguin anthology of stories by canadian women and lives in ottawa, ontario, with her husband and two children. Denise chong has published four nonfiction books of literary nonfiction and edited one compilation of short stories. The concubines children by denise chong librarything. The story opened with the book s author, denise chong, explaining that her grandmother, mayying, sought out a fortune teller to discover the gender of her unborn child. Mayying was a concubine and had already given birth to two daughters. Denise chong is the author of the concubine s children viking and penguin, abookof the month club selection. Concubines children by denise chong, signed abebooks. International bestselling author of the concubines children, denise chong returns to the subject of her most beloved book, the lives and times of canadas early chinese families.
The concubines children is a wonderfully crafted nonfiction book written by the granddaughter of the main characters. A 1987 visit to her mothers ancestral village in guangdong inspired chongs bestknown book. The iconic photograph of the naked girl running down a road had a huge influence in the growth of the anti vietnam war movement in the us. After chan sam, a chinese peasant, left his homeland to seek his fortune in the new world, he sent for a young concubine to live with him. Denise chong the story of the authors grandmother, brought from china as a young concubine, and of the mans wife and the children who were left behind. Denise chong is an awardwinning and internationally published author. The concubines children is the story of a family cleaved.
The girl in the picture was a finalist for the governor general s literary award, as was her memoir, the concubine s children. The concubines children by denise chong, 1996, penguin edition, in english the concubines children 1996 edition open library. The concubines children is the story, of a woman from china who came to britsh columbia, canada to be the concubine, not wife of a rather unimaginative, and very traditional man. The girl in the picture was a finalist for the governor generals literary award, as was her memoir, the concubines children. In the concubines children, denise chong tells her familys story, woven together from letters, photographs, and memories to create an unsentimental portrait of a family living on different sides of the globe. Apr 05, 1994 the concubines children is a wonderfully crafted nonfiction book written by the granddaughter of the main characters.
Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1. In the concubine s children, denise chong tells her family s story, woven together from letters, photographs, and memories to create an unsentimental portrait of a family living on different sides of the globe. The concubine s children, by denise chong, is a true story about a chinese family and how both physical and emotional distance can tear generations of families apart. The concubines children book calgary public library. Denise chongs nonfiction book, the concubines children 1995, is a partial family history, tracing back two generations to explore the how and why of various family members choices, and the ramifications of their choices through the generations. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Finalist for the 1994 governor generals award the concubines children is the story of a family cleaved in two for the sake of a fathers dream. Complete summary of denise chongs concubines children. A 1987 visit to her mother s ancestral village in guangdong inspired chong s bestknown book, the concubine s children 1994.
The ethos of family is dramatically portrayed by denise chong in this tale of her grandmother, brought from china as a young concubine by a sojourner to the new world, of the man s wife and the children who would be left behind, and of the author s own incredible discovery of those children six decades later. Theres chan sam, who left an at home wife in china to earn a living in gold mountainnorth america. Denise chong, author of the concubines children, on librarything. The concubines children is the story of a family cleaved in two for the sake of a fathers dream. In the book, the author traces her familys history, giving a narrative account of members from both sides of the ocean. Theres chan sam, who left an at home wife in china to, isbn 9780143192091 buy. In her first book in a decade, beloved author denise chong, tells the story of a man who humiliated a repressive regime in front of the. This book of nonfiction traces the family history of ms.
Portrait of a family divided is a nonfiction book written by chinesecanadian writer denise chong, first published in january 1995 by penguin books. A great history lesson about vancouver and nanaimos chinatowns, canadas treatment of chinese immigrants, and. In her first book, chong reconstructs the story of her mothers chinese and. Chan sam, the familys patriarch, and his concubine, mayying, are denise chongs. The story culminates in chong and her mothers trip to china, where her mother meets two. A 1987 visit to her mothers ancestral village in guangdong inspired chongs bestknown book, the concubines children 1994. The ethos of family is dramatically portrayed by denise chong in this tale of her grandmother, brought from china as a young concubine by a sojourner to the.
The story opened with the books author, denise chong, explaining that her grandmother, mayying, sought out a fortune teller to discover the gender of her. The ethos of family is dramatically portrayed by denise chong in this tale of her grandmother, brought from china as a young concubine by a sojourner to the new world, of the mans wife and the children who would be left behind, and of the authors own incredible discovery of those children six decades later. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Concubines children by denise chong 19950 hardcover january 1, 16 by denise chong author. Chan sam, a peasant, leaves his wife behind in china in order to go to the fabled golden mountain as western canada was refered to at the time 19.
The ethos of family is dramatically portrayed by denise chong in this tale of her grandmother, brought from china as a young concubine by a sojourner to the new world, of the mans wife and children who would be left behind, and of the authors own incredible discovery of those children six decades later. Denise chong is renowned as a writer and commentator on canadian history and on the family. We are presented with the lives of the children of three generations, starting with the oldest, the story of mayying, a concubine, and. She begins in 1924, in canton, when her grandmother, mayying, a 17yearold servant, was sold. Chong began her writing career as a journalist on the ubyssey, the ubc student newspaper. The concubines children, by denise chong, is a true story about a chinese family.