Canadian author Gilligan Sze in her new book shares with us her insights into ancient chinese poetry and how hard it is to render condensed chinese verse into fluid english. She admonishes us that poetry is not just words but experiences. She adds the expectations of new motherhood with moments of travail and joy against the background of her family’s chinese customs that hover over pregnancy and her seclusion after birth. And all of this in the harsh winter of Toronto. I am well aware of this since my wife is asian and after our first child I prepared a fresh chicken from the chinese market using a Cantonese recipe given by a friend. Health and safety of both the mother and child is foremost. She also displays a hearty sense of humor when she relates her mothers misunderstanding of english words and tells a guest “Do you have the eyes or the balls of a wasp.” I thorougly enjoyed the book and will most certainly add it to my collection. Just the thing to take on a trip, to read in our cloistered pandemic routine with masks and Covid or give as a gift.
This was an electronic copy given in return for a review. ( )