Midnight at the Dragon Cafeby Judy Fong Bates
Published in 2004;
ISBN: 0771010982
From the Publisher
Set in the 1960s, Judy Fong Bates’s much-talked-about debut novel is the story of a young girl, the daughter of a small Ontario town’s solitary Chinese family, whose life is changed over the course of one summer when she learns the burden of secrets. Through Su-Jen’s eyes, the hard life behind the scenes at the Dragon Café unfolds. As Su-Jen’s father works continually for a better future, her mother, a beautiful but embittered woman, settles uneasily into their new life. Su-Jen feels the weight …
About the Author
Judy Fong Bates came to Canada from China as a young girl and grew up in several small Ontario towns. She is the author of a collection of short stories, China Dog, and a novel, Midnight at the Dragon Café. Her stories have been broadcast on CBC Radio and published in literary journals and anthologies.
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Upcoming Books
July 2007 - Curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon
September 2007 - Water for elephants by Sara Gruen
Please Note: One copy of the book club selection is available at our library and can be placed on hold. Extra copies can be ordered through our Interlibrary Loan Department either by calling the department at 613-342-3936 ext. 28 and leaving your name, your 14-digit library card number and the title and author of the book. Or you can email the Interlibrary Loan department and provide the same information as above.
4 comments:
This is an engaging book and Judy Bates is a wonderful storyteller. I takes place in a small town near Toronto, where the family owns the Dragon Cafe. The book opens when the mother and daughter are just arriving in Canada to join the father, who has been here for awhile running the cafe.
I found it interesting to read about the move to Canada from China, and how they managed. "What is that strange smell?" ; "It is so quiet here". I wonder how they are going to manage when everything is so different? I can't imagine how hard it is to immigrate - learn a new language, get used to new surroundings, and meet new people.
Brockville Public Library Staff Member
I too, enjoyed this book. It is always interesting when we realize that a culture we take for granted, is so foreign and strange to others.
I grabbed this title off the new releases stacks at the front of the library, along with five other books. It was the last I chose to read at home because of its combination of Canadiana and near-memoir style. I did not dislike it.
I found this book slow at the start but if you can get past the first half, the second half is worth it. It is amazing what this family goes through for the sake of their family honor.
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