1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
At the turning point of China’s Communist Revolution, Hai’s father abandons her, along with her mother and sisters. Starving but determined, the women must walk, beg, and bluff their way through war torn China to find and confront the family that left them behind.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
The book is based on my family story and follows my grandmother’s journey from rural Shandong to Qingdao, then Hong Kong, and eventually to Taiwan.
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Hai’s character is based on my grandmother, so yes! My “protagonist” helped raise me, and much of her personality has shaped my own.
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Determined, caring, braver-than-she-thinks-she-is
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned so much about the refugee enclaves in Hong Kong, which I never even knew existed. I had always assumed that my grandmother went directly from Northern China to Taiwan. I never realized that so many Chinese refugees had to pass through Hong Kong—and that many of them remained there because they could never fulfill the Taiwanese entry requirements.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I prefer to edit when I am done, but if I get writer’s block I will go back and do some editing which sometimes helps to jog my brain.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I love all types of noodles and dumplings. My favorite Taiwanese street snacks include oyster omelets, beef noodle soup, and stinky tofu, which are all mentioned in the book.
9–Describe your writing space/office!
I live in an apartment in New York, and have a desk in a room that also functions as our living room and our children’s playroom. My desk is in the corner. This location is important because it is rare for me to have dedicated writing time at home—I usually have to fit it in between tasks. At least half of Daughters of Shandong was written on my cell phone, because I wrote during my commute, and while my kids were at the playground.
10–Who is an author you admire?
Isabel Allende is one of my favorite authors. I love her commitment to telling stories about brave women in complex and difficult historical moments.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
There are many books that changed my life, but the bulk of them are the ones that I read as a child. They taught me to love reading, and made me aspire to become a writer. One of the most pivotal books for me was Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I loved that she told a classic story—King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table—from a woman’s perspective, with magic and witches. It taught me that every story has a different lens, and getting readers to connect with that lens is so crucial to passing on the heart of the story.
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
My book was scheduled for an auction, but I was still nervous. Generally, I tend to prepare myself for disappointment, so I never told anyone in my family (including my husband and my parents) about the auction in case it didn’t work out. The day before the auction however, my agent called me with a preempt offer. I was thrilled, and so excited, but I still waited until the deal memo was signed before telling my loved ones. We celebrated with cake.
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love books that blend genres, but I tend to gravitate towards historical and international fiction. I enjoy travelling through reading, whether it is to a different time, or a different place.
14–What’s your favorite movie?
Slumdog Millionaire.
15–What is your favorite season?
Summer. I love being warm, and don’t mind the heat. Everyone seems happier during the summer, and there are so many outdoor events in New York City, where I live. It’s also usually the only time when I can travel and explore another place.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My mom told me that one should always spend their birthday with their mother, because their mother worked very hard that day. I took that to heart, so I usually try to celebrate with my parents. It’s harder now that we live in different countries, but it is important to me to be with my family—whether it’s my husband and kids, or my parents, on my birthday.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
“Crash Landing on You” is an excellent Korean drama, as is “The Glory.” I also watched “The End of the F–cking World,” and enjoyed that too. As for books, I loved “The Apology,” by Jimin Han, and “My Grandmother Told Me to Tell You She’s Sorry,” by Fredrik Backman.
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Chinese—but that category is enormous, and can be further broken down by province. I love Shanghainese and Szechuan cuisine. Some of my favorite dishes in both—Shanghai soup dumplings, stewed pork belly with Chinese cabbage, mouth-watering chicken, spicy dry pot, fish filet with hot oil, and cumin lamb.
19–What do you do when you have free time?
Write! I spend almost all of my free time writing. Since I am a mom and also work full time as a human rights lawyer, I wouldn’t be able to be an author otherwise.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
I am working on both a contemporary fiction novel and another historical fiction novel. As with Daughters of Shandong, both will be about the people we love, the difficult decisions we make, and the relationships that we wish to protect.
DAUGHTERS OF SHANDONG by Eve J. Chung
A propulsive, extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ harrowing escape to Taiwan as the Communist revolution sweeps through China, by debut author Eve J. Chung, based on her family story
Daughters are the Ang family’s curse.
In 1948, civil war ravages the Chinese countryside, but in rural Shandong, the wealthy, landowning Angs are more concerned with their lack of an heir. Hai is the eldest of four girls and spends her days looking after her sisters. Headstrong Di, who is just a year younger, learns to hide in plain sight, and their mother—abused by the family for failing to birth a boy—finds her own small acts of rebellion in the kitchen. As the Communist army closes in on their town, the rest of the prosperous household flees, leaving behind the girls and their mother because they view them as useless mouths to feed.
Without an Ang male to punish, the land-seizing cadres choose Hai, as the eldest child, to stand trial for her family’s crimes. She barely survives their brutality. Realizing the worst is yet to come, the women plan their escape. Starving and penniless but resourceful, they forge travel permits and embark on a thousand-mile journey to confront the family that abandoned them.
From the countryside to the bustling city of Qingdao, and onward to British Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan, they witness the changing tide of a nation and the plight of multitudes caught in the wake of revolution. But with the loss of their home and the life they’ve known also comes new freedom—to take hold of their fate, to shake free of the bonds of their gender, and to claim their own story.
Told in assured, evocative prose, with impeccably drawn characters, Daughters of Shandong is a hopeful, powerful story about the resilience of women in war; the enduring love between mothers, daughters, and sisters; and the sacrifices made to lift up future generations.
Women’s Fiction Historical [Berkley, On Sale: May 7, 2024, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593640531 / eISBN: 9780593640555]
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About Eve J. Chung
Eve J. Chung is a Taiwanese American lawyer and women’s human rights specialist. She has worked on a range of issues, including torture, sexual violence, contemporary forms of slavery, and discriminatory legislation. Her writing is inspired by social justice movements, and the continued struggle for equality and fundamental freedoms worldwide. She currently lives in New York with her husband, two children, and two dogs.
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