The first book of Taiwanese literature:
2024 National Book Award for Translated Literature
2024 Japanese Translation Awards
2021 Taiwan Golden Tripod Award for Literature Book
Through solid historical research,
Detailed plot and three-dimensional character description,
Using diet as an analogy,
This gives us a glimpse into how the Japanese Empire treated its colony of Taiwan,
The various conflicts between the Japanese mainlanders and the Taiwanese mainlanders,
Even the difference in fate between men and women back then,
Women as independent individuals,
Want to have an independent professional identity and thinking,
But they will face various difficulties and tests.
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In 1934, Chizuko Aoyama's semi-autobiographical novel "Youth Memories" was adapted into a movie and released in Taiwan. With the promotion of the women's group Nissinkai, the response was enthusiastic and she was invited to give a lecture tour in Taiwan.
Chizuko Aoyama was born into a wealthy family. Because her mother died young, she was sent to Nagasaki to be raised by the branch family. When she was living in Taichung, the Nissin Society recommended Wang Qianhe, a illegitimate girl from a large Taiwanese family, to serve as an interpreter. The two people who grew up with completely different cultural upbringings had the opportunity to travel together to the cities along the railway. They have stayed at Taipei Railway Hotel and Tainan Railway Hotel, and even extended their trip by taking the Sugar Railway and local branch lines to enjoy the scenery of various towns. Wherever we went, we could eat at street vendors, dashi shops, tuna shops, tea shops, Western restaurants, restaurants, and hotels. This cross-rail food tour is a rare opportunity for two women to meet and enjoy a moment of freedom before marriage.
While satisfying their taste buds, they exchanged culture and ideas with each other. Chizuko Aoyama then learned that Wang Qianhe, who used to be a public school teacher, had the desire to become a translator. Perhaps it was because she was a woman that she understood how difficult it was for a woman to have an independent career. Moreover, Wang Qianhe did not have a strong background or family support, so she wanted to lend him a helping hand.
However, the severity of war is approaching... Can the two of them achieve their desired destiny?
Good reviews
Luo Yijun (Novelist)
Chen Xue (Novelist)
Chen Youjin (Novelist)
Huang Chongkai (novelist)
Zhang Wenxun (Associate Professor, Department of Taiwanese Literature, National Taiwan University)
Zheng Fangting (Associate Professor, Department of Taiwanese Literature, National Taiwan University)
Xiaoxiang God (Member of Taipei Local Strange News Studio)
About the Author
Yang Shuangzi
The shared pen name of twin sisters Yang Ruoci and Yang Ruohui. The elder sister Yang Ruoci is responsible for the creation, while the younger sister Yang Ruohui is responsible for historical research and Japanese translation, and together they create Taiwanese historical yuri novels. Yang Shuangzi has written the novels "Flower Girl Gorgeous Island" and "Flower Season", as well as the co-authored novel "Gorgeous Island Anecdotes: Key", etc., and won the National Book Award for Translation, the Japan Translation Award and the Golden Tripod Award for "Travels in Taiwan", and sold the copyright to many countries including the UK, Japan, and South Korea.