Where Waters Meet tells the story of Chunyu (Rain) and Feng (Phoenix) Yuan, a mother and daughter who immigrated from China to Canada. After Rain dies, Phoenix takes her ashes back to China.
While Phoenix is away, her husband, George, starts reading the manuscript that Nix is writing about her youth in China. Phoenix visits her mother’s sister, Mei, and learns some horrific things about her mother’s past that happened during the Japanese occupation. The one good thing that came out of it was that she met Phoenix’ father Erwa Wang.
The story tells how the two women are struggling to get by after Erwa dies. One of Phoenix’ teachers comes to their house a few times a week under the guise of tutoring Phoenix in English and often brings them extra food.
It is a sad tale with a happy ending for I’m convinced that Phoenix and George love each other deeply. Zhang Ling tells Rain’s deeply tragic story in beautiful prose.
Read for the ShelfReflection Reading Challenge 2024.
Prompt 18: A book set in a different culture than your own.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
