Post by NZBC on Aug 7, 2007 21:06:19 GMT 12
Journey out of China ¨C an autobiography
Reviewed by Keith Lyons
The cover features China, the vast Pacific Ocean, Australia, New Zealand and some small dots of islands. This book, in a way, fills in some of those blanks on the map and joins the dots from mainland China via one dot in the middle of the Pacific, and then onto Australia.
The autobiography of MY Lam is not just the story of one man. It provides insight into life and the great changes witnesses during the turmoil of the first half of the 20th century in China.
Mr Lam, or Raymond as we come to know him through these pages, is both an unlucky and lucky man. His struggle for survival is often against a backdrop of dramatic political upheavals and change.
Born in 1919 into poverty in crowded Hong Kong, he is shunted around relatives and by eight years old is working to avoid being a burden on others. Believing he had brought bad fortune to his extended family, the boy is a uniformed soldier by the time he is 12.
Forced to flee Hong Kong to avoid the invading Japanese, he undertakes epic journeys into China's interior, narrowly avoiding likely death and ending up as a war refugee.
Throughout the first few decades of Raymond's life, he experiences many tragedies, including the loss of his mother, estrangement from his father, and his forced separation from his first love.
He marries and in order to support his family decides to go to the remote island of Nauru to work in the phosphate mining industry. While life is relatively peaceful, it is not paradise, and Raymond encounters new challenges, rising to the occasion and becoming a respected representative for the hundreds of Chinese migrant workers.
Despite his lack of formal education, he gains the trust of others, including rival factions. Raymond fights to be re-united with his family and also has to deal with the fallout from gambling, bribery and other problems among the Chinese migrant community. Nauru even has its Red Guards and the threat of a workers' revolution.
From the descriptions of functions, Chinese operas, thingytail parties, picnics and trips around the island, we get a clear impression of Raymond as a family man, community leader, loyal employee, and modest man of letters.
His love of Australia, developed during long holidays there from the island, is reflected in his warm depictions of people and places. In the 1960s as the island moves towards independence and the islanders seek a greater share of the profits from mining, Raymond campaigns for his family to become Australian citizens.
Over 300 pages long, this beautiful looking book has a selection of historic and family photos, some appealing well-drawn maps, and a useful appendix about Nauru.
It will appeal to anyone interested in Chinese and Pacific history. The unique circumstances of Raymond's life make this book an important contribution to understanding more about China's turbulent history and the equally challenging times on the island of Nauru.
Keith Lyons is a New Zealand teacher and photographer based in Yunnan province in south-west China. You can read his experiences at www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/happysheep/shangri-la-la/tpod.html.
Reviewed by Keith Lyons
The cover features China, the vast Pacific Ocean, Australia, New Zealand and some small dots of islands. This book, in a way, fills in some of those blanks on the map and joins the dots from mainland China via one dot in the middle of the Pacific, and then onto Australia.
The autobiography of MY Lam is not just the story of one man. It provides insight into life and the great changes witnesses during the turmoil of the first half of the 20th century in China.
Mr Lam, or Raymond as we come to know him through these pages, is both an unlucky and lucky man. His struggle for survival is often against a backdrop of dramatic political upheavals and change.
Born in 1919 into poverty in crowded Hong Kong, he is shunted around relatives and by eight years old is working to avoid being a burden on others. Believing he had brought bad fortune to his extended family, the boy is a uniformed soldier by the time he is 12.
Forced to flee Hong Kong to avoid the invading Japanese, he undertakes epic journeys into China's interior, narrowly avoiding likely death and ending up as a war refugee.
Throughout the first few decades of Raymond's life, he experiences many tragedies, including the loss of his mother, estrangement from his father, and his forced separation from his first love.
He marries and in order to support his family decides to go to the remote island of Nauru to work in the phosphate mining industry. While life is relatively peaceful, it is not paradise, and Raymond encounters new challenges, rising to the occasion and becoming a respected representative for the hundreds of Chinese migrant workers.
Despite his lack of formal education, he gains the trust of others, including rival factions. Raymond fights to be re-united with his family and also has to deal with the fallout from gambling, bribery and other problems among the Chinese migrant community. Nauru even has its Red Guards and the threat of a workers' revolution.
From the descriptions of functions, Chinese operas, thingytail parties, picnics and trips around the island, we get a clear impression of Raymond as a family man, community leader, loyal employee, and modest man of letters.
His love of Australia, developed during long holidays there from the island, is reflected in his warm depictions of people and places. In the 1960s as the island moves towards independence and the islanders seek a greater share of the profits from mining, Raymond campaigns for his family to become Australian citizens.
Over 300 pages long, this beautiful looking book has a selection of historic and family photos, some appealing well-drawn maps, and a useful appendix about Nauru.
It will appeal to anyone interested in Chinese and Pacific history. The unique circumstances of Raymond's life make this book an important contribution to understanding more about China's turbulent history and the equally challenging times on the island of Nauru.
Keith Lyons is a New Zealand teacher and photographer based in Yunnan province in south-west China. You can read his experiences at www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/happysheep/shangri-la-la/tpod.html.