The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling is a young adult novel written by Wai Chim. It tells the story of Anna Chiu, a 14-year-old girl who struggles to balance her responsibilities as a daughter, sister, and student while dealing with her mother’s mental illness.

The book is set in Sydney, Australia, and revolves around the Chiu family, who run a Chinese restaurant called the Golden Duck. Anna’s mother, suffering from severe depression, spends most of her days in bed, leaving Anna to take care of her younger siblings, Lily and Michael, and manage the household chores. Anna’s father works long hours at the restaurant, leaving little time for him to be involved in their lives.

As Anna navigates through her teenage years, she faces various challenges. She feels isolated at school due to cultural differences and struggles with her own identity as a Chinese-Australian. Additionally, she grapples with the guilt and shame associated with her mother’s illness, often feeling responsible for her well-being.

Anna finds solace in cooking and particularly enjoys making dumplings. The process of making dumplings becomes a metaphor for the healing power of food and family. Through cooking, Anna not only connects with her Chinese heritage but also finds a way to express herself and cope with her emotions.

Throughout the story, Anna forms unexpected friendships that help her navigate her difficult circumstances. She befriends Rory, a boy from school who shares his own struggles with anxiety disorder. Their friendship provides mutual support and understanding as they both face mental health challenges.

As the narrative progresses, Anna’s mother’s condition worsens, leading to a crisis point where Anna must confront the reality of her mother’s illness and seek help. With the support of her friends and family, Anna learns to prioritize her own well-being while still being there for her loved ones.

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling explores themes of mental health, family dynamics, cultural identity, and the importance of self-care. It sheds light on the impact of mental illness on individuals and their families, emphasizing the need for understanding, empathy, and open communication.

Overall, Wai Chim’s novel offers a poignant and heartfelt portrayal of a young girl’s journey through adversity. It highlights the power of love, resilience, and the healing potential of food and community.

• The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling

• By: Wai Chim
• Narrated by: Christina Ho

An authentic novel about growing up in an Asian immigrant family with a mother with a debilitating mental illness.

Anna Chiu is busy. When she’s not looking after her siblings or helping at her father’s restaurant, she takes care of her mother, whose debilitating mental illness keeps her bedridden most days. . Her father’s new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and even though she knows things aren’t right at home, she’s starting to feel like she can be a normal teenager.

But when her mother finally got out of bed, things took a turn for the worse. And as her mother’s condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other.

The amazing power of a delicious dumpling is a heartbreaking, honest exploration of life through the often neglected crevices of culture, mental illness, and family. Its strong themes are balanced by a beautiful romance that makes it a pleasant yet important listening.

This book was given to me and I read it from beginning to end this morning. It is well written and deftly depicts the very real issues surrounding being the child of someone with a mental illness, the difficulties of adolescence, and the first generation experience of an immigrant child. , in this case an Asian child.

As an ELL teacher, I find it relevant to all teenagers, but especially to those who live between two worlds: heritage culture and mainstream culture.

I also think it’s a reminder to anyone who works with children to ask better questions when they seem to be struggling so they feel cared about and can get help. help when needed. As many educators like to say, “a child must Maslow before they can Hatch.”

My heart goes out to Anna because she is in middle school and has to take care of a lot of household chores with her father working at the family restaurant and her mother being bedridden for more days. Not only does she have to worry about passing her classes with people who are mean to her about Anna being Asian, but she also has to grow up a lot faster than one would expect. and taking on a lot of responsibilities started to affect her. .

Personally, I know that it’s hard to go to school as an Asian. I’m lucky enough that no one bullies me or makes me feel ashamed of my ethnicity even though I didn’t grow up in an Asian family, so seeing some of the things Anna has to face makes me happy. realize how lucky I am. grew up in the Deep South.

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