Resumo de Sweet Mandarin

ABSTRACT ? HELEN TSE ? SWEET MANDARIN 2007 Ebury Press. A rare insight into the lives of Manchester?s Chinese settlers. The story begins in Guangzhou, China in the early 1900?s with the early life of the author?s grandmother, known affectionately as Lily. Saved from drudgery in the silk trade by her father, creating an exceptional crop of Soya bean which became popular in nearby Hong Kong, for a time Lily?s future seemed secure until her father was brutally murdered one night by jealous rivals. Lily was distraught and plunged into instant poverty. Lily got herself a job as a maid in the house of one of the colonial families occupying Hong Kong. The job was demanding, the rules strict and the slightest mistake could have led to instant dismissal. Lily got pregnant, which could have destroyed her career as a maid. In sheer desperation, she sold her daughter, Ah Bing, to another family to give her a better chance of growing up happy. She always stayed in touch though, and introduced the author to her in later years in a very moving chapter of the book. It was Lily?s skills as translator that kept her safe during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong when many other Chinese people were to die horribly. With time, Lily had another daughter, Mabel and a son, Arthur. In the 1950?s Lily was faced with another heartbreaking choice. The family she was serving had come to love and respect Lily a great deal, but now they were moving back to England, and invited her to come with them to continue to work as their maid. The main catch was that she would not be able to bring her children with her right away. Lily chose to come to England, (Somerset originally), where she worked hard to save money to bring her children to England with her, as she was desperately missing them. The lady who owned the house Lily served died, and to Lily?s surprise, she left her lot of money in her will. Lily used the money to buy herself a restaurant property in Manchester and she was now able to bring Mabel and Arthur to England at last. Lily?s restaurant was called Lung Fung, but most people called it Lil?s. Lily?s cooking was proving exceptional, and in the book, Helen?s precise descriptions of food prove invariably mouth-watering. Twice in the course of reading the book I felt obliged to dine on Chinese food. Lily and Mabel's husband became addicted to gambling in the rising casino industry in Manchester?s Chinatown. And Lily tragically had to sell Lung Fung to pay off her spiralling debts. She was able to keep control of a small take away, Lung Fung Too, which is still operating in Middleton today. The story now however shift?s its central focus to Mabel?s twin daughters, Janet, and Helen, the author of the book. Though raised in the restaurant trade, Helen was to gain a legal degree at Cambridge University, and for a time, tried to establish a life of her own. However, in the early 21st century, a journey to Hong Kong, to visit Lily?s relatives, and meet Ah Bing, who was still living there changed Helen?s mind. She had begun to realise how incredible her grandmother Lily really was, and slowly, she discovered more details of her amazing life, which became the basis for her beautiful book. Helen and Janet also decided to carry on the family tradition for catering with their own restaurant, Sweet Mandarin. Going for natural ingredients and avoiding Monosodium Glutamate saturated food, the girls wisely avoided setting up their restaurant in Chinatown itself, but found a corner of High Street in the Northern Quarter of the city itself, where many flats and apartments were being built. They kept their grandmother?s special curry (which customers had travelled from as far away as Spain specially to sample) on the menu. The book ends with the women of Helen?s family united by a fresh crisis, after Sweet Mandarin was robbed and severely vandalised. The ladies are last seen clearing up the damage ready to open up as usual the very next night ? natural born survivorsheirs is a story of incredible courage, affection and optimism. The times when their fortunes collapse are shocking and leave you wondering how they can survive, but each time they manage it, and always maintain a loyalty and love for each other, which undoubtedly reflects in their cooking too.

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