Novels that bring an insight into race and culture can be sorely lacking. PP Wong is the first British-born Chinese novelist to be published and I find that very sad indeed. It does not say much for diversity. We can’t necessarily blame publishers, they only buy what they think will sell, what the public want. So maybe it is time we opened our eyes more to other cultures and the absolute horror of racism.
After the heavy opening paragraph I hope you don’t get the wrong idea, The Life of a Banana is a (mostly) funny tale of a young Chinese girl growing up in London. It is written in her style, something that is very hard to do, and harder to do well.
Of course, not everyone is racist or a bully and racists and bullies just embarrass people who aren’t racist and bullies, but some of the things Xing Li goes through are truly horrible and shocking. This is an excellent book on identity and the end of childhood. I really enjoyed reading it and it is a triumphant first novel.
Xing Li is what the Chinese call a banana – yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Although born and raised in London, she never feels like she fits in. When her mother dies, she moves with her older brother to live with venomous Grandma, strange Uncle Ho and Hollywood actress Auntie Mei. Her only friend is Jay – a mixed raced Jamaican boy with a passion for classical music.
Then Xing Li’s life takes an even harsher turn: the school bullying escalates and her uncle requests she assist him in an unthinkable favour. Her happy childhood becomes a distant memory as her new life is infiltrated with the harsh reality that comes with adolescence.
Consumed by secrets, violence and confusing family relations, Xing Li tries to find hope wherever she can. She realises that in order to find her own identity, she must first discover what it means to be both Chinese and British.
