Margaret Wang

Etsitkö jännitystä, uusia näkökulmia tai rentouttavaa lukuelämystä? Tutustu kirjakategorioihimme ja löydä seuraava suosikkikirjasi.

It is 1896 in China, once a strong and independent nation with a proud heritage but now a victim of inept government and foreign imperialism. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing. While the wealthy enjoy the trappings of a comfortable life, less fortunate families (comprising a majority of the population) struggle to survive, often resorting to the practice of selling their young daughters into bondage to avoid starvation. Not surprisingly, calls for social reform and civil rebellion are getting louder. Zilan, a young wife and mother in a privileged mandarin family, faces the uncertainty with an outward calm that belies inner conflict. She is torn between her desire to honor the ancient Confucian principles at the core of China's male-dominated society, on one hand, and her concern for the lowly status of females, especially those born into poverty, on the other. In her own quiet way and with initiative that is rare for a woman of her era, she sets out to improve the lot of those around her. She coaches her bonded maids to become self-sufficient and tries to find a way to restore their freedom. Through impromptu history lessons, Zilan helps her young son, Mengfei, understand how the past plays a vital role in shaping the present. Of Noble Heritage gives us a window into life in China, as seen through Zilan's eyes, during the waning years of the Qing dynasty. In her heart, Zilan is a feminist despite being raised in an environment in which women are taught to be subservient. From her lessons with Mengfei, which provide glimpses into Chinese tradition and culture, we can appreciate her wisdom in combining education with independent thinking at a time when women were not expected to be wise or educated or to think independently.

Does home have to be a country or a city? ... Or is home this house or that? We have been fortunate... We seemed always to have been home. Wang Gungwu, historian of grand themes and broad perspectives, has held positions in universities around the world, from London and Cambridge to Kuala Lumpur, Canberra, Hong Kong and Singapore. This second volume of his memoirs, written with his wife Margaret, continues the very personal story begun in Home is Not Here. Wang’s account of his years at the University of Malaya, captures the excitement, the ambition — and the naïveté — of young English-educated elites being prepared for leadership by the departing colonial power. He introduces us to some outstanding personalities of this founding generation of two nations, including young medical student Mahathir Mohamad. We also see these years from Margaret’s perspective, her own fascinating family story, and her impressions of this young bearded poet. The exploration of the emotional and intellectual journey towards the formation of an identity, treasured by readers of Home is Not Here, extends in this volume into an appreciation of love, family life, and the life of the mind. Wise and moving, this is a fascinating reflection on identity and belonging, and on the ability of the individual to find a place amidst the historical currents that have shaped Asia and the world.