Peony, by Pearl S. Buck
Pearl S. Buck, the daughter of Protestant missionaries, was raised in China during the first part of the 20th century. She wrote over 65 books, including many novels set in China. She is best known for The Good Earth, first published in 1931. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938. The photo above is from the cover of a DVD about her life: Pearl S. Buck: A Life, A Legacy
I read The Good Earth many years ago, but had not revisited Buck’s books until recently, and I am so glad to have rediscovered her. Peony, first published in 1948, is full of nuanced characters and complex cultural situations, besides being an engaging story.
The novel is named after Peony, a bondmaid in the home of a Jewish family in Kaifeng, China in the 1800s. Yes, there really were Jews in China, although at the time of this novel they are in danger of disappearing as a separate culture. The central dilemma of the book is whether the son of the family, David, will marry Leah, the daughter of the only other prominent Jewish family in town, or will take a Chinese wife. David’s father, Ezra, who is half-Chinese, is eager to see David married to the daughter of his Chinese business partner. David’s mother insists that he marry Leah and become rabbi to their synagogue, since there is no one else to take the old rabbi’s place.
Peony, a smart and beautiful young woman, is in love with David herself, but assumes that she has little hope of marrying him. However, using her intelligence and guile, as well as her strong bond with David, she can try to engineer the situation to her advantage. Although Peony is a bondmaid, bought by Ezra when she was a small child, she is in fact the very capable manager of the household.
Besides the well-drawn main characters, the novel is full of vivid minor characters: Ezra’s business partner; the elderly maid; the rabbi’s good-for-nothing son; and even a tiny dog that lives in the household.
Peony includes details of both the Jewish traditions and Chinese customs that the family participates in. I’m assuming that everyone in the novel is speaking Chinese, since by then the Jews had been in China for generations. They are described as wearing Chinese clothing at times, and at other times Jewish-style clothing decorated with Chinese embroidery.
The novel follows Peony’s life until her old age. She must make difficult decisions as she strives to do her job well and to make a place for herself in a situation in which she seems to have no secure place and no one to depend on. This is a fascinating novel of how individual choices affect a family and an entire culture. It is also a historically accurate portrayal of a minority culture existing peacefully within a larger culture.
For more about Pearl S. Buck – her books, her life, and her humanitarian work – check out Pearl S. Buck International.