Janie Chang’s first novel, Three Souls (2013), was chosen as finalist for the Ethel Wilson Prize for Fiction, a notable achievement since fiction writing is her second career. Born in Taiwan, Janie is one of the increasing number of writers bringing new and rich cultural dimensions to Canadian literature.
Three Souls is set in China at the time of war between the Nationalist government and the Communists, and when the Japanese were invading the country. It was also a time when women were beginning to sense that they had rights and did not have to submit to male authority. The book reflects these issues as Leiyin, the protagonist, attempts to assert herself amidst this treacherous mixture of love and politics.
Already dead at the beginning of the book, Leiyin reviews her life accompanied by three souls who offer conflicting comments on the choices she has made and, after her death, on her efforts to atone for her mistakes. The presence of these souls reduces the drama of the story, but directs our attention to the underlying themes of forgiveness and the need to accept our own human limitation and that of others. Ironically it is the dead who assert our humanity in all its greatness and weakness.
Janie Chang’s second book, Dragon Springs Road, will appear in January 2017. She will be reading from both books at the Arts Centre in Sechelt, on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. All are welcome. Admission is by donation.
