Made in China; A Memoir of Love and Labor; Anna Qu
Penguin Random House Audio - 2021 - (5 hours 41 min)
Made in China, is rather sad memoir about what it was like growing up unloved and feeling like an outcast. The author was born in Wenzhou China in the mid 80's. Her father died when she was young. Her mother decided that if she stayed in China, with the one-child rule at the time, it would be unlikely that any man would want to marry her so she made a decision to leave her daughter behind with grandparents in China and go to America. In New York her mother got a job at a Queens sweatshop and eventually ended up marrying the owner and having two more children. In 1991 when Qu was seven, her mother brought her to live her new family which she had never met.
In America, Qu was not treated like her half-siblings, and never shown any love or attention. She had a room in the basement. Unlike her half-siblings, as a teen she was forced to work 40+ hours a week in the sweatshop. Her mother was beyond strict, she was down right abusive and eventually Qu files a report with The Office of Children & Family Services, a decision which affects her later on. An excellent student she was determined to succeed despite little encouragement and without her mother's help. While her mother wore designer clothes, Qu wore sweatshop clothes which made her stand apart from her classmates even more. Although she manages to go to college without her parents help there are more issues to contend with as an adult.
This was an eye-opening memoir that makes you think about the immigrant experience. We learn about generations of struggles for women in China and the need for mothers to be tough. Qu's bitterness, loathing and resentment is difficult to read about at times as you learn more about the complicated mother-daughter relationship here. This memoir showed the darker side of a journey from China to life in America to what one would always hope to be a better life.
I downloaded this audio book from the public library. It was narrated by Catherine Ho who did a very good job with this memoir. Recommended.
Rating - 4/5 stars
This sounds both fascinating and heartbreaking... and it's the perfect length (I think) for audio memoirs. Unfortunately my libraries don't have it in any format, but I may end up using an audible credit if I find myself between library listens. Thanks for the review... it's the first I've seen of this one.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, it was just released last month so maybe your library system will get it in soon? Yes, it was the perfect length; listened start to finish in 2 days.
DeleteWow, this one sounds really intense. When I read books like this, or hear about similar stories, I am always shocked that a parent could treat their child this way. And what about the stepfather?! Just tragic.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite good even though not a happy story. It felt like the step-father didn't have much say.
DeleteIt's good to discover what others have to go through in life.
ReplyDeleteIt is, it puts some perspective on what the phrase "count your blessings" really means.
DeleteWhat a tragic tale but so inspiring that the author was able to play the bad cards life dealt her and still come out a winner.
ReplyDeleteIf one thing she learned from the way she was treated was how to be tough.
DeleteThis sounds like a real life Cinderella story. I do suppose that her mother had her own problems, but it is difficult to understand how a mother could do something quite like this to her eldest daughter. I really like memoirs and, sad as this one is, I think I'll add it to my TBR.
ReplyDeleteYes, there isn't a lot of detail but through the grandmother you learn "mothers needed to be tough."
DeleteSounds like it is well worth reading. The immigration experience is something we all need to know more about.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree and through NF, I love learning about different cultures and parenting styles.
DeleteThis sounds like a tough read. I love memoirs, so maybe I'll give it a try in spite of the sad story.
ReplyDeleteThe audio book went by so quickly.
DeleteNo an excuse but, I think in some cases, mothers sometimes do what their own mothers did - not always certainly.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a memoir I once read - "Nine Continents: A Memoir In and Out of China" by Xiaolu Guo. Although the life experiences of these two authors are different, I find it interesting to know more about their culture and the things/events they've encountered, which I think could be inspiring at times.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound like an eye-opening memoir; also a heartbreaking one.
ReplyDeleteSo sad really but, I guess many mother in the manner their own mothers did - good or bad.
DeleteThis sounds intense and like a tough but fascinating read. I think we are all influenced in some way in our parenting by what our parents did but Qu's mother sounds unforgivable.
ReplyDeleteKatherine - that is very true. I tired to be better than my own mother but, looking back there is also a few things I might have done differently. We do the best we can at the time.
DeleteOh man, this is a difficult sounding read. I almost want to read it but I don't know how well I'll fare. What makes the mother so mean to one child?
ReplyDeleteBackground and circumstance often but, much is how we were raised as well.
DeleteWhoa that sounds grim. This poor girl.
ReplyDeleteI know so many tragic memoirs out there.
DeleteWow. What a sad story.
ReplyDeleteYes, I love a good memoir and I knew this might be sad but I'm trying to learn more about how the Chinese raise their children -- so many overachievers. I worked with a woman from China, her husband was a college professor and both of her sons were so driven - both went to different medical schools in the US.
DeleteWhat a horrible experience the author lived. I cannot imagine children who are separated from their parents for years and years. When we moved to the states my dad did move first so he could find us housing and get everything set up but he returned for my mom and me in a few months and we moved to Texas. We were very fortunate and just hearing all of these stories about the immigrant experience makes me understand just how fortunate we were. I'll have to add this one to my TBR.
ReplyDelete