Samantha Parker
Northwest Asia Weekly
Donuts falling in love
Liu Jie
Berkeley, 2021
Actor Ryan Guo’s situation is not going well. His latest movie, a romantic comedy, received mixed reviews when it first came out. He was still in grief over the sudden death of his mother a few months ago. He returned to Toronto to try to be there for his family, but was not very successful. He didn’t know how to help his sister, a struggling new mother. His father would rather (funnyly) spoof him on Twitter than contact him in person.
Then he met Lindsay McLeod-after her bakery overturned two dozen specialty doughnuts. Not the best way to meet someone, but the attraction between them is there. Therefore, when Ryan agreed to appear in the celebrity series “Bake Failure”, he asked Lindsay to teach him how to bake, and she agreed.
When the two spend time together, one thing that brings them closer is their grief at the loss of their parents. Lindsay lost her father seven years ago, and the pain still exists.
“Doughnuts” is a lovely romantic comedy, it is very interesting to watch Ryan and Lindsay go through the ups and downs of falling in love. Of course, Ryan’s celebrities bring different elements, but in essence, they are two people who haven’t been in a relationship for a while, just trying to figure it out-this is what many people can think of.
One thing I really like is that Liu doesn’t just focus on romance. She showed the rest of Ryan and Lindsay’s lives, especially the impact of their respective parents’ deaths on them. Ryan’s mother is the glue that binds their family together, and now he is working hard to fill this gap. Since the death of her father, Lindsay has not established any new connections—not just romantic—we have seen her working hard to change this situation because she tried to establish a connection with her new roommate. I am very happy to see the profile of these characters, because they remind readers of how complicated life is and that romantic love is not the only love.
Hell: Memoirs
Zhou Ji
Central Publishing House, 2021
Kat Chow has always been a little obsessed with death. She has always worried about her parents-especially her mother. She once joked that when she died, she wanted to be stuffed in Zhou’s apartment and displayed so that she could monitor (and/or bother) her at any time .
When Zhou was in high school, Zhou’s mother accidentally died of cancer. She, her sisters, and their father were distraught. In “Damn”, Zhou expressed this grief and shared the story of her extended family emigrating from China and Hong Kong. They first arrived in Cuba and then settled in the United States.
Throughout “Damn”, Zhou switched between sharing her family story and speaking directly to her late mother. The latter is Zhou’s ongoing dialogue with her mother, making readers feel that these are words her mother never had a chance to say when she was alive. These moments reminded me of my own parents and the things I want to talk to them before it is too late.
I appreciate Zhou showing how imperfect her mother and her family are. Everyone has their own shortcomings, and when someone passes, we often want to put them on a pedestal. By sharing not-so-good moments, Zhou humanizes her relatives and makes them resonate with readers. Some readers may not be familiar with the traditions and rituals around death performed by her family, but many of us can feel that sense of loss and hope to respect those we love.
Although “Damn” is the sad story of Zhou’s family, she also contains a lot of humor-even in those dark moments, such as at her mother’s funeral (I smiled and imagined her mother jumping out of the coffin, complaining Buried alive, wearing such cheap clothes, over there). It reminds us that there is no way of feeling at any given moment, and that’s okay.
Cry at H Mart
Michel Zuna
Knoff, 2021
After growing up, Michel Zuna’s mother had high expectations of her. From things she can control, such as her behavior and attitude, to things she can’t control, such as her height. As a half-Korean and half-white girl who grew up in a predominantly white community in Eugene, Oregon, it is not easy to become one of the few mixed children. When she was at home, Zauner was considered Asian, and when she traveled to Korea with her mother to visit relatives, she was considered white.
At the age of 25, Zuna learned that her mother had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now living on the East Coast, working in the restaurant industry, and performing with her fledgling band, Zauner has found the life she wants. But she began to feel that she was getting more and more alienated from South Korea. So when she moved back to Eugene to take care of her mother, she had to consider the side of her identity.
Zauner is famous for her rock band Japanese Breakfast. She shared a story about her mother. One thing I really care about is how complicated their relationship is. As an Asian American daughter of an Asian mother, I fully understand respecting your mother and wanting to feel like her to a certain extent, and at the same time doing your best-but never able-to truly make your mother happy or pride. Mother-daughter relationships are rarely simple. I always think that Asian mothers and daughters belong to their own category. Zuna did a good job of capturing these complexities.
In her writing, Zauner is also good at sharing private details. She brings readers in, so we stay with her, experience everything by her, and stay with us even after we finish reading.
Samantha can be info@nwasianweekly.com.
