September 2022 – The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd – PEKING and TOKYO

1st September 2022

#FromOurBookShelves

The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd, a wonderful novel set in Peking and Tokyo.

This is one of the few novels I have read twice, it is that good! It is published by Eland Publishing who have a wonderful ethos: “..founded in 1982 to revive great travel books which had fallen out of print. although the list  has diversified  into biography and fiction, it is united by a quest to define the spirit of a place. These are books for travellers, and for those who are content to travel in their own minds, Eland books ion out our understanding of other cultures, interpret the unknown and reveal different environments as well as celebrating the humour and  occasional horrors of travel..”

So, what makes this novel so special? It is written in an incredibly readable style, with engaging humour and acute observation. Each sentence can be savoured as you take a wry look at this part of the world; it is a story told with perspicacity and heartfelt empathy. Mary Mackenzie sets out on the SS Mooldera, in the early 20th Century to meet up with her husband-to-be, Richard Collingsworth, who is based in Peking. Theirs is a cold marriage and he seems little interested in her, save that she should bear him a child. She does indeed sire him a daughter, Jane. Shameful events propel her into a new life, and she uproots herself to Tokyo where she settles in reduced circumstances. She is forced to leave Jane with Richard. Her mother by this time has disowned her and she is cast adrift.

Lovely details of local life are wonderfully recorded. The Empress with whom she has an audience before her life falls apart sits with her nails covered in silver talons more than 30 cms long. A striking but disabling feature that mean she is totally dependent on her staff. The author time and again comes back to the role of women and has Mary befriending a Japanese female agitator later in the book. These really are times when women had to fight for any rights.

It is a fascinating period of history, a time when women are subjugated by society and male dominance. Mary has to navigate her way through an unfamiliar culture and find a way to survive. And survive she does, ending up in one of the big department stores in Tokyo, heading up the fashion department. Japanese women couldn’t get enough of Western fashion and she found a niche that pandered to this trend. After a few setbacks she ploughs forward with her life, determination and stoicism see her through catastrophes and upset.

The story is set just after the Boxer Rising in China and then against the Russo-Japanese War. This is a time when foreigners stood out and often not overtly welcome. As the story progresses further events on the world stage influence the life of the protagonist, right up to WW2. The Kantō Earthquake, for example, is detailed; as it took place at lunchtime the braziers were being used all around the city and thus fires devastated large areas leaving 1.9 million people without shelter.

The story is told through her diary reminiscences and letters she writes to her friends and mother.

She is a survivor and an observer of life from the sidelines. Her story is written with verve, humour and brought to life in wonderful prose. It is a book to savour and enjoy; I am truly appreciative of the excellent writing style. Highly recommended.