Small Talk
Get up close with Shirley Fung as she talks about her new book, Second Chinese Daughter and what she hopes for readers to understand
Shirley Fung hopes that readers will realise that there is justice in gender equality through her book Second Chinese Daughter, which she discusses about with Kathlyn D’souza
Tell us about the book.
Second Chinese Daughter is the story of three women in a family that hails from Penang, and their struggle to find their own identity in a community where they endure male domination and abuse, as well as the male ownership of women. The first part tells of the challenges the grandmother, Ah Soo, encountered after she (as a young girl) was sold to a brothel. The second part is about the tragic experiences of mother, Li Li, at the hands of her stepmother, then later her mother-in-law and an unfaithful husband. Next, in the third part there is the daughter, Feng— the granddaughter who is Li Li’s second daughter. Feng is inspired by her grandmother’s and mother’s retelling of their tragic experiences and of their efforts to make life better for the generations after them, and resolves to find a better life for herself in a new environment— Australia. This book takes its readers into the lives of women past and present.
How do you think the readers will perceive this book?
Some women from the older generations will read my stories with heartwarming nostalgia and say, “Yes, I have experienced all this before; how true. Glad she is speaking up for me.” The readers of today will read the same book and say, “How interesting and different life was at that time for my female ancestors. To think that life is hard enough for women today, but oh how much harder it was in the past. I am grateful that, unlike women of long ago, I have a voice, and am able to speak up and stand up for what is my right as a woman.”
Tell us about the chain of events that led to the writing of this book?
When I was teaching, I used to tell stories about my life experiences, especially what I observed about people in my neighbourhood, to my students. The stories were always in context with the topic I was teaching at the time. My students used to listen spellbound. At other times I enjoyed telling my adult friends about the sad tales of the women during my mother’s and grandmother’s time. They too were captivated when listening to my accounts—no matter how many times I repeated the stories. It then occurred to me that if I were to put all this information in a book, I would never run out of listeners.
Apart from writing the book, what have you been up to?
At present I am doing volunteer teaching at the University of the Third Age, an organisation that offers a variety of courses to senior citizens (I call them lifelong learners). I teach Genetics there. I am also studying Italian, Spanish and Mandarin at this university.
What’s next for you?
As women’s roles shift so do those of men. I am working on another book, this time focusing on the male perspective. The story will begin in China and trace the life of a self-made man whose life and ambition will, of course, influence that of his descendants, even those that migrate overseas. As a woman it is easier to write from the female perspective. This next book will present a greater challenge and I will have to rely more heavily on research and interviews.