Written by Jen Sookfong Lee
A moving portrait of three generations of the Chan family living in Vancouver’s Chinatown
Sammy Chan was sure she’d escaped her family obligations when she fled Vancouver six years ago, but with her sister’s upcoming marriage, her turn has come to care for their aging mother. Abandoned by all four of her older sisters, jobless and stuck in a city she resents, Sammy finds herself cobbling together a makeshift family history and delving into stories that began in 1913, when her grandfather, Seid Quan, then eighteen years old, first stepped on Canadian soil.
The End of East weaves in and out of the past and the present, picking up the threads of the Chan family’s stories: Seid Quan, whose loneliness in this foreign country is profound even as he joins the Chinatown community; Shew Lin, whose hopes for her family are threatened by her own misguided actions; Pon Man, who struggles with obligation and desire; and Siu Sang, who tries to be the caregiver everyone expects, even as she feels herself unravelling. And in the background, five little girls grow up under the weight of family expectations. As the past unfolds around her, Sammy finds herself embroiled in a volatile mixture of a dangerous love affair, a difficult and duty-filled relationship with her mother, and the still-fresh memories of her father’s long illness.
An exquisite and evocative debut from one of Canada’s bright new literary stars, The End of East sets family conflicts against the backdrop of Vancouver’s Chinatown – a city within a city where dreams are shattered as quickly as they’re built, and where history repeats itself through the generations.
From the Hardcover edition.
An impressive debut novel that delves into the immigration experiences of three generations.
Delivered in lyrical language radiating with apt metaphors, the story alternates between Sammy Chan’s modern-day life and her family’s past… An enrapturing exploration of identity that proves that family is unshakeable.
- Kirkus Reveiw
“Impressive, both in terms of its accomplished prose and its ambitious three-generational scope. . . . Lee’s talent is undeniable.”
–National Post
“Poetic. . . . Jen Sookfong Lee is aware of the dark side of mythmaking, its distorting and even parasitic price. It’s one of many things that make her a novelist to watch.”
–Calgary Herald
“An accomplished and complex story about the intricate set of issues that surround Chinese-Canadian identity,
a story that will ring true for Canadians of other backgrounds.”
–The Gazette (Montreal)
“Richly layered . . . there is much to admire. . . . Jen Lee shows off a confident style, investing The End of East with rich imagery and well-wrought characters and deftly handling the complexities of the various storylines.”
––The Vancouver Sun
"In this powerful first novel Jen Sookfong Lee moves fluently through the life of an immigrant family, speaking what remains unspoken between the generations. Observant and humane, The End of East shows us that within a family nothing ever really ends."
–Thomas Wharton, author of Salamander
"From China to Vancouver, past to present, The End of East beautifully guides us through the heart of the Chan family and the Chinese immigrant experience – charting dreams, regrets, hopes and triumphs along the way. Jen Sookfong Lee’s storytelling instincts are honest, unflinching and fearless."
–Ami McKay, author of The Birth House
"I am awestruck by Jen Sookfong Lee’s ambition in this, her first novel, an ambition that is fulfilled with power and grace. Whatever assumptions I had about Vancouver’s Chinatown have been supplanted by Lee’s vision of a world where family obligation is passed on through the generations, where personal dreams are sacrificed for family goals as a matter of course. It’s a world that is different, and yet so terribly similar to my own. The End of East is a wise, challenging and heartbreaking novel. And Jen Sookfong Lee is a novelist with the eye and ear and soul of a poet."
–Gail Anderson-Dargatz, author of The Cure for Death by Lightning and A Recipe for Bees
"I found this story interesting to read. The characters drew me into their lives, and made me feel for them in the story. A definate must read!"
—Jodi B, Ontario
"This is an interesting read. I read it in one day. A difficult book to put down. I was very interested in the way Chinese immigrants looked at coming over to Canada. I had heard about the head tax and the riots against the Chinese but found it having more of an impact when seen through the eyes of the Chinese worker. It was also interesting watching the generations of the family and how they changed in their mind set and their social/economic position."
—Madeline K, Ontario
"I enjoyed reading the End of the East. The characters are quite memorable. The switches between times and characters were, for the most part, smooth and easy to follow. She catches the essence of the history of Chinese Canadians in this family saga."
—Paula S, Ontario
"The End of East is a sensitively written account of a Chinese family's immigration and settling in Canada over three generations. It briefly explains the Canadian "head tax" that was levied on this family and describes the personal hardships that it caused. It was hard for me to put this book down; as each new character introduced themselves they quickly became known by their quirks, took their place in history and then endeared themselves to me. Each family member was raw, unapologetic and honest as they traced their steps through the family history. Jen Sookfong Lee's writing is bright, smart and articulate with an ever present undercurrent of intensity as she tackles many difficult issues of living and being a part of any family in any society. I feel like I've developed a better understanding of Canada's history and the history of some of its people."
—Tina S, British Columbia
"I enjoyed this book very much. I feel it was very well written and kept interst from the beginning to the end. I also enjoyed reading about a little 'history' of Canada. We don't know what it was like for immigrants to come here and it always amazes me that they kept coming when things were so hard. I think this author will go far if her subsequent books follow the pace of this first one. Thanks for a great read."
—Laura L, Alberta
From the Hardcover edition.
Visit the New Face of Fiction website.
Jen Sookfong Lee was born and raised in Vancouver’s East Side, where she now lives with her husband. Her poetry, fiction and articles have appeared in a variety of magazines, including The Antigonish Review, The Claremont Review, Horsefly and Jasmine. She was a finalist in the Stephen Leacock Poetry Contest and is included in the poetry anthology From this New World.
From the Hardcover edition.
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