The Jade Peony is a 1995 novel by Wayson Choy. The novel is set in the Chinatown neighborhood of Canada during the 1930s and 1940 with the escalation of World War Two occurring in the background. The plot revolves around the Chen family and is divided into three sections, each of which is narrated by one of the children, save for the eldest, Kiam.
Jook-Liang, the only daughter, is the narrator of part one. Liang struggles with the tension between Canadian and Chinese culture, as well as her subordinate place in the family due to being a girl. She develops a friendship with an elderly man, Wong Sek, who helps connect her more fully to her Chinese heritage. She is broken-hearted and...
