Kerry Young

To learn Jamaican history through the fictional life story of a Chinese gangster is novel; that it is written in the vernacular somehow gives it even more appeal. Pao, a teenage immigrant from China in the days before Jamaica's independence, becomes a sort of godfather. Many Chinese were escaping the horrors of the Chinese Civil War. Their growing numbers in Jamaica reduced the few jobs that were available, creating a need for protection. This is not a topic or time that is covered often in show more historical fiction and Kerry Young has done an excellent job of creating a tale that is interesting and entertaining. show less

Decades slip by in a flash in this delightfully crafted novel about a Chinese immigrant to Jamaica and his life, labors, and loves. Author Kerry Young does a great service to her home country and to her own ancestral history by bringing the world's attention to the often unknown world of the Chinese immigrant in Jamaica.

Young Pao is introduced to his new life in his new country by Zhang, the man who has paid for Pao's mother's passage to the West Indies after the death of Pao's father. show more Zhang is a combination godfather and wise man in the underworld of Jamaica's Chinatown. He raises Pao to follow his footsteps and Pao, who has little formal schooling, learns his lessons of life on the city streets.

As Pao narrates, the reader sees him as a rather serious, contemplative man for whom toughness does not seem to come naturally, but rather as a symptom of circumstance. Like all of Young's characters, Pao is strong, memorable, and easy for the reader to relate to. In just 270 pages, we follow most of Pao's life. We see him as a child, as a teenager, a young man, a middle-aged man, and as an elder. Although multigenerational novels are hard to do in short manuscripts, Young seems to succeed, and what we end up seeing in Pao is a totally "round" character, one who transforms and changes in many ways through the pages of the book.

Kerry Young creates memorable characters: Zhang as the wise man, Pao as the always musing good "bad" boy, Cecily, the African Jamaican married to a Chinese man who rules over her privileged household and holds insecurities to herself, and Gloria, the bright, loving, practical, and very vital prostitute who creates a balance in Pao's life.

For those interested in British Colonialism and West Indian history, particularly around the issues of independence in former British colonies, Pao offers interesting insights. With a flavor of historical fiction, Young brings her characters' lives in line with the years of British colonialsim through independence, taking us on a ride through the administrations of Bustamante, Manley, and Seaga. She does not burden the reader with too much information; there's just enough to set the stage and get the reader to thinking about the political scene going on around Pao's personal narrative.

Pao is an excellent book about a little-written-about group - the Jamaican Chinese, a group that some readers may be discovering for the first time. Young left her homeland of Jamaica when she was just ten years old, but she is able to conjure up the flavor and feel of the country and give us not only wonderful characters that we will hold in our mind for a long time but also a real view and sense of the country that is Jamaica. For both lovers of West Indian literature and those who have never been exposed to it, this book is highly recommended. show less

Pao traces the history of 20th century Jamaica from British rule to independence and the economic imperialism which keeps profits funneling out of the country into British and American pockets. Pao comes to Jamaica as a boy, in the wake of the Chinese Civil War, and his family is taken in by a friend of his late father's, the godfather of Kingston's Chinatown. As Pao adapts to his new life, he makes friends in all social strata, marries the wrong woman, and struggles with his feelings for show more his children, his true love, and the people and culture of the island which has become his true home.

Pao's speech patterns are distinctive, and Young uses them to give a sense of place and culture. His Jamaica is multicultural, poverty-stricken, and subject to the whims of neocolonialist economic powers, but his story is engaging, complicated, and very real. Highly recommended. show less

As young teenagers in 1938, Gloria Campbell and her sister Marcia flee Jamaica's countryside for Kingston following a violent incident in their home. With few connections or skills, alone in an unfamiliar city, the sisters end up in a brothel run by a pair of strong women willing to take them in. Here Gloria meets Pao, a racketeer and enforcer in Chinatown, who soon becomes more than a customer. The changing political tides make it difficult for Gloria and Pao to be together, but encourage show more Gloria to become part of a larger social upheaval, allowing her to recognize her own value and strength.

Within the early pages of Gloria, Kerry Young easily transports readers to streets Kingston. Instantly noticeable is the strong Jamaican dialect, which is used throughout the novel, fairly easy to adjust to and does wonders for setting the overall tone. Without ever having traveled the region, it is possible to fully visualize Gloria's world through Young's vivid imagery.

That world is filled with more than a simple coming of age tale. Over the course of several decades, Gloria examines forgiveness, social justice and, ultimately, acceptance. Gloria herself is a beautifully developed, strong female character - a perfect companion for Young's vibrant setting.

While some readers may avoid reading novels written in dialect, in this case they would be missing out. Kerry Young's Gloria is a unique piece of historical fiction, rich with culture and full of transformation.

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