Chinglish
Sep 2019 · Andersen Press Limited
5.0star
4 reviewsreport
Ebook
262
Pages
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About this ebook
As heard on Radio 4's Woman's Hour and BBC Breakfast TV
Winner of the YA Diverse Book Award, Bristol Teen Book Award, and 'Simply the Book' Coventry Inspiration Book Award
Shortlisted for the Indie Book Award
Nominated for the Carnegie Medal
It is difficult trying to talk in our family cos:
a) Grandparents don’t speak English at all
b) Mum hardly speaks any English
c) Me, Bonny and Simon hardly speak Chinese
d) Dad speaks Chinese and good English – but doesn’t like talking
In other words, we all have to cobble together tiny bits of English and Chinese into a rubbish new language I call 'Chinglish'. It is very awkward.
Jo Kwan is a teenager growing up in 1980s Coventry with her annoying little sister, too-cool older brother, a series of very unlucky pets and utterly bonkers parents. But unlike the other kids at her new school or her posh cousins, Jo lives above her parents' Chinese takeaway. And things can be tough – whether it's unruly customers or the snotty popular girls who bully Jo for being different. Even when she does find a BFF who actually likes Jo for herself, she still has to contend with her erratic dad's behaviour. All Jo dreams of is breaking free and forging a career as an artist.
Told in diary entries and doodles, Jo's brilliantly funny observations about life, family and char siu make for a searingly honest portrayal of life on the other side of the takeaway counter.
Winner of the YA Diverse Book Award, Bristol Teen Book Award, and 'Simply the Book' Coventry Inspiration Book Award
Shortlisted for the Indie Book Award
Nominated for the Carnegie Medal
It is difficult trying to talk in our family cos:
a) Grandparents don’t speak English at all
b) Mum hardly speaks any English
c) Me, Bonny and Simon hardly speak Chinese
d) Dad speaks Chinese and good English – but doesn’t like talking
In other words, we all have to cobble together tiny bits of English and Chinese into a rubbish new language I call 'Chinglish'. It is very awkward.
Jo Kwan is a teenager growing up in 1980s Coventry with her annoying little sister, too-cool older brother, a series of very unlucky pets and utterly bonkers parents. But unlike the other kids at her new school or her posh cousins, Jo lives above her parents' Chinese takeaway. And things can be tough – whether it's unruly customers or the snotty popular girls who bully Jo for being different. Even when she does find a BFF who actually likes Jo for herself, she still has to contend with her erratic dad's behaviour. All Jo dreams of is breaking free and forging a career as an artist.
Told in diary entries and doodles, Jo's brilliantly funny observations about life, family and char siu make for a searingly honest portrayal of life on the other side of the takeaway counter.
Ratings and reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Wing Pang
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January 22, 2020
A book of two halves written for the 2020s in the style of Adrian Mole. The first half was just full of comedic 1980s observations and reminded me of what it was like growing up a second generation immigrant and trying to understand two different cultures. The second half is slightly darker covering more serious issues but ultimately resonating for me my own adolescent years living above the local Chinese takeaway. The family duty and inbuilt obligation to help in the family business is overwhelming with a different generation with different attitudes and an almost impossible reconciliation with an alien environment. Sue Cheung has managed to write a hugely readable memoir which has helped me to understand my own childhood. I would love to learn more about her family as she is a role model for the Chinese community in the UK.
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Sue Cheung was born in the Midlands and spent her early years clowning about and busily scribbling and drawing. At the age of 16 she seized her chance to become an artist by winning a scholarship to the London College of Fashion. Later, Sue went into advertising and worked her way up to Art Director. She now freelances as a designer from her home in Bournemouth, where she writes and illustrates children’s books. She also writes under the name of Sue Pickford. For more information visit suecheung.co.uk
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