In trying to ensure Paupau s authentic voice comes through and connects with readers This is a strength of the narrative and a testament to the love the author has for her grandmother Paperback Not my usual genre but a compelling read Heart breaking and fascinating in equal measure Paperback What an incredibly touching journey through a Hakka woman s life Not only did this book open my eyes to the suffering Hakka women often faced but it reminded me of how touched we are to have amazing women in our life. I m so amazed at how Di s Paupau pulled through after so much trauma It s truly a tribute to her and a reminder to treasure our loved ones and their stories while we are still blessed enough to hear them Paperback

A Hakka Woman By Di Lebowitz

1803817798

9781803817798

English

336

Paperback

.

Everyone who knew her as Ah Ping is now dead. I know her only as Paupau Cantonese for maternal grandmother Paupau is forgetting many things She can t remember what day of the week it is what she had for breakfast or even how old she is as early onset dementia slowly eats away at her brain But some things Paupau can never forget even if she tried The burning smell of her village after the Japanese destroyed her home in Southern China or her mother s pained face as seven year old Ah Ping is sold to the Tang family as a child bride Torn from her family and imprisoned in Tang House on an island off Hong Kong Ah Ping endures decades of physical and emotional abuse sexual violence and abject poverty How does Ah Ping learn not to succumb to the tyrants in her life and lose her capacity for love Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing post war Hong Kong A Hakka Woman is a remarkable and heart wrenching tale about survival womanhood and the power of a mother s love Retold through her granddaughter Di Lebowitz Paupau s story defines what it means to be a Hakka woman A Hakka WomanReview to come Paperback What a compelling book This is a memoir of the author s grandma Ah Ping who was sold as a child bride she endured years of psychological and physical abuse and gave birth to 10 kids This is a story of her survival and womanhood in a male dominant society. This book is so well written that it sent me on an emotional journey I was utterly heartbroken or raging while I was reading this and had to put the book down to calm myself down You diffinitely have to check the trigger warnings as it contains abuse rape and so on I really enjoyed reading about the cultural background especially about the similarity and difference in Hong Kong and in Japan and the utter patriarchal society that suppressed females during that time. This book is not an easy read especially since I am Japanese However the story is absolutely remarkable and powerful I hadn t had a book that I wanted to pass down to my kid but this is it It made me think about my roots and reminded me of the power of education. I felt your love to Paupau through the book Paperback From the author of The Marks Left on Her comes another gut wrenching and gripping story Through Di Lebowitz s narrative we witness Paupau s journey and the strength A Hakka Woman explores themes of survival womanhood and familial bonds At times it was a difficult read So for anyone who has experienced domestic violence or assault I highly recommend pacing yourself One aspect of the novel I would have liked of is Paupau s story The story flips between the past and present and I would have liked to stay in the past with Paupau I love that the novel is set in Hong Kong and I love that it centres on a Hakka woman as Hakka stories are usually extremely underrepresented in literature As a Hakka descendent this book made me reflect on the societal hardships and challenges our people faced during times of difficulty It s clear from the writing that the author has poured a lot of her heart and soul into the novel.

, When I first started reading it I got teary at the granddaughter grandmother perspective as I thought about my own late grandmother: The narrative blends the two voices of Di and her Paupau Di s done an incredible job at capturing her Paupau s voice in a language that she doesn t even speak, I don t rate biography but this is a five star read for me. Thank you so much to Di for giving me the opportunity to read this book