Part 1 of Essay
The Concubine's Children, by Denise Chong, is a true story about a Chinese family and how both physical and emotional distance can tear generations of families apart. We are presented with the lives of the children of three generations, starting with the oldest, the story of May- ying, a concubine, and her husband, fello ....

Part 2 of Essay
.... The author has told the story in a detached fashion, with the narrator rarely reacting personally to the events, even when they recount horrific events. This style of writing often cheapens the content of the story, making it seems rather impersonal, even for nonfiction. The book itself was written recently, using the author's grandfather's letters as a guide. The author wrote the book in an attempt to better educate herself about her Chinese heritage, and about a nation that seemed foreign to h ....