February Flowers

This feels like an honest, non-commercial, thoughtful, even poetic narrative about growing up in a specific time, place, and social class. It's set in a major university in southern China in 1990 -- but it reminded me so much of my university life, spent 20 years earlier, at a Midwest American state university -- on the other side of the planet.

I enjoyed February Flowers tremendously and recommended it to many friends. The novel traces the experiences of Chen Ming, a lonely scholarship student in Guangzhou, China, during her first year at university. Ming, whose parents were exiled to farm labor during the Cultural Revolution, discovers the vibrant, exhilarating city around her with Miao Yan, a worldly senior who gives Ming her first alluring dress and teaches... Read Full Review

"February Flowers" tells a remarkably insightful and honest story of two young Chinese "girls" - known as young women in western cultures - trying to find themselves in the ever-changing world of today's China. Even though 17-year-old Ming and 24-year-old Yan share the same country, their families and upbringings differ greatly, which is paradoxically so true and common in a country that stresses uniformity and adherence to... Read Full Review

February Flowers is a subtle and delicate book. It is the tension under the surface, kept in check and only hinted at, that drives the narrative forward. To a certain extent, it is a coming of age story that highlights a point in time when innocent seventeen year old student Ming meets the worldly and flashy Miao Yan. Ming is captivated by Miao Yan's other-ness; her vibrancy, and the bond between the girls grows until it... Read Full Review

February Flowers is about innocence, the mystery and the allure of intimacy and knowledge; and the pain and bliss of friendship. Though set in present-day China, and informed by that country's ferocious rush toward modernization , this story transcends the "coming of age in China" genre. Two women meet at a university, one a seventeen-year old first year student, just beginning her life away from home, and the other a young... Read Full Review