Historical fiction at its best. Published in 1948, and set in the 1800s, this book is a fascinating exploration of a relatively unknown piece of history: a Jewish community living in Kaifeng, China. Buck employs a single family, that of Ezra ben Israel, his wife Naomi, his son David, and bondmaid Peony, to represent the descendants of the Jews that initially settled in China many generations before, showing how difficult it can be to retain the ancient traditions in an environment of acceptance. Peony and David grew up together, and form close bonds, which eventually lead to strong feeling for each other, but are prohibited from forming a relationship due to class and religious restrictions.

It is an evenly paced novel, mostly character-driven through inner dialogues, and includes a memorable journey to Peking. It succeeds where many contemporary historical fiction novels fail: the setting and era are integral to the storyline, and the characters act in accordance with the culture, customs, and ways of life of the era. The sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes provide an aura of authenticity. The reader feels immersed into the historical environment. For example:

“The coming of the caravan each year was an event for the whole city. The news of it ran from mouth to mouth, and when the long line of camels came padding down the dusty path at the side of the stone-paved streets, the doors of every house and shop were open and crowded with people. Upon a proud white camel at the head of the caravan sat Kao Lien, the trusted business partner of the House of Ezra. Behind him came guards armed with swords and old foreign muskets, and behind them plodded the loaded camels. All were weary with the long journey westward through Turkestan and back again through the mountain passes, but for the final homecoming the men had decked themselves in their best, and even the camels held their heads high and moved with majesty.”

Buck lived in China for many years, and it shows in her storytelling. She writes beautifully – clear, descriptive, and emotionally charged. Her prose is effective in showing the quandary of the Jewish people in China as they attempt to keep their traditions while simultaneously feeling accepted and assimilated into their host country. This is one region of the world where they were not persecuted but treated with kindness.

After reading this book, I was inspired to research the history of Jews in China, and aside from literary license in condensing timelines, it seems historically accurate. It provides opportunities to learn about different cultures and a piece of largely forgotten history and poses thought-provoking philosophical questions of the interplay between the head and the heart. Highly recommended to fans of authentic historical fiction and character-driven family sagas.
( )

Peony, a classic choice of our book club, and the first Pearl S. Buck I've read...how have I waited this long?? She was a prolific author and also a very good one. A child of American missionaries to China, she was raised speaking Chinese and understood the culture as few Americans could. Peony was published in 1948.

This story reveals a bit of history I had never been exposed to, but which has been thoroughly documented. Ms. Buck tells the story of a culture within a culture as she describes how a group of Jews who escape to China to avoid persecution manage to so completely assimilate into the Chinese culture that they are completely absorbed in just a few generations.

The child Peony is bought as a bond servant at age 8 around 1850, and is raised in a wealthy Jewish family along with their only son David. As young adults they feel a strong attraction, but their status differences are too great a barrier. Peony remains an integral part of the family, working quietly behind the scenes to make David as successful a family man and business man that he can possibly be. ( )

Review: Peony by Pearl S. Buck.

I thought the book was written well and her characters were well developed. I like the way Pearl Buck creates her stories about China. She does a great job of combining the Chinese with another culture and makes it interesting and understanding to the point of sharing all culture traditions. In this book Pearl Buck research provides accurate and extremely interesting information, some based on truth of Jews in China. The message in this story involves how the Jews were swiftly intergrading into Chinese society and culture, and losing their Jewish identity.

The setting for this story is in the city K’aifeng, in the district of Hinon, sometime around 1850. This place and time was historically a center for Chinese Jews. However, Pearl Buck created within the story a prominent Jewish family and how a family of this status can be well-known and brought through many tribulations and sorrow diminishing their cultures and traditions no matter how hard they clung to their rites to be a Jew living among the Chinese.

Peony was an intriguing, sad and creative story built on many true facts. The novel follows Peony, a Chinese bondmaid of the prominent Jewish family of Ezra Ben Israel, and shows through her eyes how the Jewish community was regarded in K’aifeng at the time when most of the Jews had come to think of themselves as Chinese. Peony was loved by this Jewish family like a daughter. She grew up with their only son David, they played together as children, but now as she got older Peony took the place of David’s servant and during his education they learned together by great tutors. They were as close as sister and brother and Peony never let known her true love she carried for David because she knew Madame Ezra would never allow her to marry David, and that Jews, unlike Chinese, do not take concubines. Peony just settled on being close to David and did everything she could to make sure he was happy.

As the story unfold there is tragedy, sorrow, deaths, misunderstandings, love, and Peony is embedded deeply among all the turmoil. Peony is a loving quiet person who captures the heart of most of Pearl Buck’s audience. I loved the novel and everything it stood for but I wished the ending would have been created differently….


( )

In a little blurb at the beginning of the novel, Buck explains that periodically throughout history, groups of Jews have immigrated to China, where they were eventually integrated into society to the point where they became more Chinese than Jewish. This is the story of one of these families, seen through the eyes of one of their servants, Peony. The mother is dead-set on preserving all of the Jewish traditions and on returning to the Holy Land some day. The father has adapted to more Chinese customs that she has. Their son, David, is caught between the two, and must decide which path he will follow. The novel is also about a love story, as David must decide whether he loves Leah, the daughter of the Rabbi who his mother wants him to marry, Kueilan, the daughter of his father’s Chinese business partner, or Peony, who has been his companion since childhood, but who is far below his station.

Buck does a magnificent job of portraying Asian culture, as usual. Most of the stories I’ve read about immigration and the immigrants’ struggles to integrate into their new culture are about people who immigrate to America, so I found it really interesting to see an example from another culture. I also love Buck’s subtle (or maybe not so subtle) commentaries on religion and society. When the Chinese see the Jewish temple and all the sayings that are carved in it, they realize that the Jews believe a lot of the same things that they do. They see no difference, and thus, accept the Jews into their culture. The strictly observant Jews, like the Rabbi and David’s mother, insist on arguing that they are better than the Chinese because their god is the one true god and that they are his chosen people. David comes to realize that these feelings of superiority are the reason why the Jews have been persecuted throughout history and that the Buddhist and Confucian teachings really are pretty similar to those of Judaism. I think Buck makes a very good argument for the idea that despite all the different races, religions, and cultures of humans, we really have more similarities to each other than differences. If we could just realize this and get along, the world would be a better place for everyone. ( )

A gentle, slow, rich story about a Jewish household that lives in China during the mid-nineteenth century. It is told from the viewpoint of a chinese bondmaid in the house, who was bought as a child to be companion to the merchant's only son, David. She grows up on very close terms with David, but when they become adults the dynamics change. Peony the bondmaid loves David, but it is beyond her status to ever marry him. His religion forbids him to keep her as a concubine, which the Chinese people would easily accept. Instead she remains in his house faithfully serving him, subtly manipulating events and insinuating herself into schemes on whom David will marry- the pretty daughter of another merchant who would solidify a business partnership? or the beautiful strong Jewish daughter of the rabbi, whom his mother desires for him? I have never read anything about the assimilation of Jewish people into China before, so the full breadth of this story was very interesting. It's about much more than just the love story and the self-sacrifice that is Peony's life. It's about the meeting of two cultures, each with their pride and faithfulness, their laws and structure, their tolerance or prejudiced ideas. Older generations sought to hold onto their religious identity and keep their children from intermarriage, but slowly this dissolves through the years. David in particular has an awakening when he realizes he will not follow his mother's ideal path for him, nor exactly his father's, but must choose his own way.

All in all a very engaging read. It definitely encourages me to read more Pearl S. Buck- especially as this book is said to be not quite her best!

from the Dogear Diary ( )