Dragonfly Eyes

Bibliography: Cao, W. (2022). Trans. by Helen Wang. Dragonfly Eyes. Candlewick Press. ISBN: 978-1-5362-0018-8

Plot Summary: The story follows the family through several decades. Oceane, a French woman, and Du Meixi met in Marseilles between the two world wars, and quickly fell in love.  Business soon moves them to Shanghai, where they raise their children and grandchildren.  Oceane (Nainai) and her granddaughter have an especially close relationship. The family is physically torn apart during the Cultural Revolution. Oceane's French ancestry is evident in both her children and grandchildren and face persecution as the West is hated and feared.  Through trial and tribulation, though, the family ties remain strong. 

Critical Analysis: The title refers to specific beads that Du Meixi used to make Oceane a wedding necklace, and they remain important throughout the story as they become a fairly heirloom. Helen Wang does a fantastic job of translating Wenxuan's work. When talking about French bouillabaise, the description is detailed, and the impact it seems to have on those who try it makes life "worth living" (6). The metaphor to describe Yeye and Nainai's relationship is quite romantic as well: "Yeye was Nainai's shady tree in the fierce summer sun, her flickering stove on cold winter nights" (211).  The word choice is not too complicated, and middle and high school readers should not have much trouble. Though the history is not the most important part of the story, it is accurate in its depiction of what Chinese people suffered during the Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward. It was a beautifully told story. 

Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews: "Readers experience decades of tumultuous history through multiple generations of one family."

Goodreads.com: "A beautifully written, emotional story about a family and their bonds with each other."

Awards:

Batchelder Honor Book, 2023

Connections:

Use in a World History class after studying the Cultural Revolution in China.  Have students compare the experience of Ah Mei's family to first hand accounts of the period. 

(Borrowed from Candlewick.com)

In       In an English class, hold a class discussion over different elements of the book such as:

               "Note three examples of prejudice that characters in Dragonfl y Eyes faced. Why do you think each one was targeted? What did you learn from each instance?"

                "There is a lot of symbolism in Dragonfly Eyes. One example is when Nainai unraveled her own clothes to make sweaters for her family. Explain the symbolic meaning of this scene. Then fi nd another instance of symbolism in the story and explain its symbolic meaning, too."

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