I am delighted to be joining in the blog tour to celebrate the new edition of PP Wong's The Life of a Banana. Longlisted for the Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction in 2014, it has received praise and can be seen as a great YA/ literary crossover. I am lucky enough to be able to host a Giveaway so that one lucky winner can receive a paperback copy of The Life of the Banana with the latest 2018 cover. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post. (UK only).
Xing Li is what some Chinese people call a banana – yellow
on the outside and white on the inside. Although born and raised in London, she
never feels like she fits in. When her mother dies, she moves with her older
brother to live with venomous Grandma, strange Uncle Ho and Hollywood actress
Auntie Mei. Her only friend is Jay - a mixed raced Jamaican boy with a passion
for classical music.
Then Xing Li’s life takes an even harsher turn: the school
bullying escalates and her uncle requests she assist him in an unthinkable
favour. Her happy childhood becomes a distant memory as her new life is
infiltrated with the harsh reality of being an ethnic minority.
Consumed by
secrets, violence and confusing family relations, Xing Li tries to find hope
wherever she can. In order to find her own identity, she must first discover
what it means to be both Chinese and British.
Read what others think:
‘Revealing in its exploration of cultural and generational
conflicts and moving in its optimism.’ The Guardian
'Life Of A Banana is so refreshingly distinct. Read
it, and you will soon find yourself wanting more.' The Daily Mail
‘PP Wong has blazed a
trail for future British Chinese novelists... bursting with original and
exciting flavours.’ The Independent
My Thoughts
This is an entertaining book which shows you what it is like to live in the UK and yet feel that you belong to another culture. It is diverting and witty and yet shows you what it is like to exist in an 'alien' culture. The clever part is that Xing Li was born in the UK and cannot quite connect with the Chinese culture her relatives are so sure of.
I liked the way that you could relate to the young Xing Li as she tried to understand both British and Chinese cultures. This is a novel which explores ideas around identity, culture and racial stereo-typing. There are some harrowing episodes of bullying and racial discrimination. I enjoyed the style of writing which put me firmly into the mindset of the young adolescent Xing Li.
In short: a well paced story with engaging characters and a thought provoking plot.
About the Author
PP Wong was born in London in 1982. Her parents, both Chinese
and originally from Singapore, moved between London and Asia during her
childhood. PP Wong is now a writer and is also editor of www.bananawriters.com , a platform to encourage new East Asian and South East Asian
writers with thousands of readers from over 30 different countries.
Thanks to PP Wong and Imogen Harris of Legend Press for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Don't forget these great bloggers!
Giveaway (UK only)
To win a paperback copy of The Life of a Banana, just Follow and Retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings.
Closing Date is 10th June 2018 and there is one winner. Good luck!
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries only. The winner will be selected at
random via Tweetdraw from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right
to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the
competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with
third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed
to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not
responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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