Rebellion
In 1999, 84-year-old Hazel must leave her rural Illinois farm to reside in a nursing home. After her children and grandchildren arrive to close up the farmhouse, the family discovers Hazel’s belongings and, curiously, an original Chinese fan. The storyline then segues to the 1890s, when Hazel’s mother, Louisa, corresponded with her sister, Addie, in China. Addie and her husband had gone there as missionaries. Disheartened, Addie befriends an avant-garde, feminist woman and moves out with her. China becomes engulfed in the Boxer Rebellion, and Addie mysteriously disappears.
By 1958, Hazel is widowed and struggles to operate her Illinois farm single-handedly. She is assisted by her neighbor, Hughes, and they have a secret affair. Then in 1998, Juanlan returns home to China after college, close to where Addie lived. Seeking better opportunities, but having to help her sick father and pregnant sister-in-law, Juanlan—somewhat like Addie—rebels against being confined and starts a liaison with a married man.
In this multigenerational saga, Molly Patterson explores the tumultuous lives of four women whose lives are interconnected (one a bit loosely). Each of them deals with subservience and the repressive societal norms of their times by rebelling against them. This forms the novel’s main theme. Patterson’s Midwestern upbringing and travels in China show in the atmospheric narrative. The characters’ lives, separated in alternating chapters, are told with imaginative descriptions; for example, Juanlan “has a live wire inside her, like a burning blue coil.” Since the story lines don’t converge into a definitive ending, room is left for a possible sequel. Also, in the beginning we meet Hazel’s granddaughter, Mal, who has joined the Peace Corps after graduation and is off to Burkina Faso. She’s another rebel in the making. An enjoyable and informative read.