A collection of poems telling the story of Yeung Ying, a young girl in Hong Kong in the 1960s who, against the conventions of society and family members, aspires to become a writer
Tofu Quilt
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4–6—This collection of free-verse poems is based on Russell's childhood and her journey to becoming an author. Yeung Ying leaves Hong Kong to spend the summer with her Uncle Five and his children in mainland China. When she recites classical Chinese poems for him, he rewards her with a special treat—a bowl of custard known as dan lai. She loves this treat so much that she vows to be a good student and become a writer. In 1960s China, many girls do not get the chance to have the education she receives, but she has financial support from her uncle, who appreciates her intelligence and determination, and her mother stands up for her right to an education. The story is revealed through Russell's tender poems that beautifully describe Yeung Ying's surroundings, her home life, her family, and her inner thoughts. The poems are simple, yet filled with images and language that create an atmosphere that brings the child's early years to light. Aspiring young authors will be encouraged and inspired by this patchwork of poetry.—Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada END
From Booklist
Based on the author’s experiences growing up in 1960s Hong Kong, this novel-length, free-verse poem follows a young girl who aspires to be a writer in a society that still questions the value of educating girls. Luckily, Yeung Ying’s mother, who received an education herself, feels otherwise, and she scrapes together private-school tuition for her daughter. In individual, chapter-length selections, Yeung Ying gives a strong sense of her loving family, her vibrant neighborhood, and the impact of specific, life-shaping experiences, all in a spare, believable young voice. Readers will come away with a strong sense of both an individual and a culture, and they’ll appreciate the importance that small, daily details hold in Yeung Ying’s life: a shockingly delicious taste of a dessert becomes the seed that grows into her writing dream, for example. Young people will be inspired by Yeung Ying’s determination to realize her ambition and to find inspiration everywhere, from overheard snatches of apartment-house gossip to quiet family moments: “I always / perk up my ears / for treasures.” A welcome glossary and author’s note add further cultural context. Grades 3-6. --Gillian Engberg
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More About the Author
Ching Yeung Russell is the author of four novels based on her childhood growing up in China - First Apple, Water Ghost, Lichee Tree, and Child Bride - as well as the picture book Moon Festival. Her latest book, Tofu Quilt, is the story of her struggle to become a writer from the age of twelve. Ms. Russell was born in Guangdong, China and later moved to Hong Kong. A graduate of Hong Kong Baptist College, she worked as a freelance writer before marrying an American and emigrating to the United States. She and her husband, Phillip K. Russell, whose photographs illustrated her first published work, A Day on a Shrimp Boat, are the parents of two grown sons, Jonathan and Jeremy. Find out more about Ching Y. Russell at her website: http://chingyeung.homestead.com.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unusual and fascinating,
This review is from: Tofu Quilt (Hardcover)
I've never seen a book quite like Tofu Quilt. It is a collection of 38 free-verse poems about the author's childhood in Hong Kong during the 1950s and 1960s, and her desire to become a writer, despite the fact that she is a girl and is not expected to have a career.
At the age of five, Yeung is rewarded with a special dessert called "dan lai" for being able to recite Chinese poetry from memory. The reward awakens in her a desire to become educated and have enough money to buy more dan lai. Her mother sends her to a private school, despite the fact that the family is poor. At the age of eight, Yeung writes letters for her illiterate grandmother, and at the age of 10, she does piecework for factories in order to earn money to buy books. At 12, she sells a story to a local newspaper, and this is the beginning of her writing career. The poems are simple, story-like, and heartfelt. Some are humorous. I have reprinted one poem on my web site, Gender Equality Bookstore.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children,
By Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu" (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Tofu Quilt (Hardcover)
Young girls in Hong Kong during the 1960s lived in a society that favored boys in a multitude of ways that Yeung Ying felt and heard every day. As the first-born girl, Yeung Ying caused some disappointment to her father's family, to the point that her father dressed her baby sister in boys' clothes in the hopes of producing a boy the third time around. Fortunately, Yeung Ying was blessed with a strong-minded mother who valued education and insisted that Yeung Ying attend private school, even though this decision caused financial hardship for the family.
Yeung Ying loved school and did well, especially in writing. She dreamed of becoming a writer some day, inspired by a sweet dessert to which she was treated by a kind uncle after she recited many classical Chinese poems from memory. Although most girls did not attain more than a primary school education and they certainly did not earn an income from writing, Yeung Ying pursued her dream to attend college and publish her work. This beautifully-crafted collection of poems will leave a lasting impression about the power of determination, encouragement, and creativity in the face of pervasive oppression. Just as the author herself was inspired by a sweet treat, she has written a delectable book that wraps a number of economics ideas into a unique collection of free-verse poetry. Readers will find interesting little stories with big lessons in every bite.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Read-Aloud, At Bedtime Or Anytime,
By
This review is from: Tofu Quilt (Hardcover)
As a mother who screens everything her 11-year-old daughter reads, I was truly intrigued by Ching Yeung Russell's "Tofu Quilt." I'd just finished "Girl In Translation" by Jean Kwok and was disappointed that it was just a bit too adult for said daughter, so when I came across "Tofu Quilt", I was delighted. The book takes on the form of free verse - and while I am a fan of traditional rhyming verse, I found that using free verse for this story was a stroke of genius on the part of the author: the book reads like it was translated from Cantonese, with the cadence taking on the rhythm of traditional Chinese poetry. As with great poetry, an incredible amount of depth and feeling are expressed in few words. It's really refreshing not to have to plow through 800 pages to be moved sometimes! As said daughter puts it:
"The book, 'Tofu Quilt' by Ching Yeung Russell is a short and sweet autobiography about a girl in the 1960's with the ambition to be a writer even when most people in Hong Kong back then insisted that girls should only care about cooking and cleaning for their husbands. "Yeung Ying had always been better at reciting poems and writing letters than her boy cousins and when she is rewarded with dan lai, a Chinese dessert, she makes up her mind to become a writer so that she can eat dan lai forever. Her dream is also helped by the fact that Yeung Ying's mother uses what little money the family has to send her to private school where Yueng Ying faces life's boulders and rewards. "I thought that the book was short enough to read to kids for a bedtime story: it is filled with enough of everything to be loved by people of any background. I would recommend the book to every person in the world! "My favorite part in the book was when Yeung Ying talked about how the first Saturday of each month, her mom would take her and her siblings to Mr. Wong's Wonton Stand and Mr. Wong would wait for them and call out "Fresh wontons!" till they came, and he would always give them the biggest wontons with the most shrimp inside which he would make just for them. "I would give the book five stars."
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