Review: Zheng, by Christopher Teh

 

   Today I'd like to write a review of my good friend's novel, Zheng

   Without giving out spoilers as much as possible, here goes: 

       Zheng basically takes the origins of the Nyonya Baba (Peranakan) people, and turns it 180 degrees. 

       Instead of an affluent Chinese merchant coming to British Malaya for trade and commerce, and marrying the regular local women, Zheng tells the story of Zheng, a poor, down -trodden Chinese sailor  who escapes the cruelty and hardships of Qing China, and sails down south to Nusantara (modern day Malaysia) and Zheng's encounter with the Malay noble-woman, Melati. 

    Zheng is meticuolously crafted, the author's love-letter to Malaysia, and Malaysian culture, and Malaysian food. The narration provided by characters tell a gut wrenching tale, and there are snippets of heart-warming anecdotes, of the kindness of the locals. The larger than life characters certainly bring Zheng to life, and it is the characters that carry the story forward. 

   What I like best about this book, is that its very strongly grounded in Nusantara, written in simple English, and does not have flowery metaphors with no grounding, that are full of plotholes

    My favourite character in the whole story is Melati, the Malay-Noble woman, and it is hinted it is via the beautidul union of Zheng and Melati, that forms the origins of the Nyonya Baba (Peranakan) people.

  I honestly felt it was the kindness and strength of Melati that carried Zheng, indeed the story, forward, and therein lies the point of the novel, and the message the author is trying to convey: It is the kindness of the Malays that eased our ancestors transition into the new world (Nusantara, or Malaya) from Old Qing, and we must always be mindful and grateful for this kindness. Even till today. 

    Additionally, reading between the lines, in the subtext of the novel, one can feel the lonelinss and melancholy of the author. 

   Overall, I give Zheng a solid 8.5 /10.  Escape into a simpler world, where people cared for one another, and are not lost in an endless haze of doom scrolling and social media stalking. The author's skill in story-telling, and crafting of scenes, create vivid imagery, and walk side by side with characters in the past and experience Malaysian Culture and Food for the very first time, as when our chinese ancestors first ventured into the new world, in their escape from Old Qing. 

   Order Zheng, from the publishers website here: 

   https://www.gerakbudaya.com/product/zheng-the-sailor-who-came-to-melaka-christopher-teh-cherita-books

    Or from the Shopee E-Commerce website here: 

  https://shopee.com.my/Zheng-The-Sailor-Who-Came-To-Melaka-Christopher-Teh-(Cherita-Books)-i.224888210.53709944855

   

   (Disclaimer: This is not a paid review. The author is a friend of mine, I simply wanted to support him. The fact my grandma on my mom's side is Peranakan from Melaka also factors in my support of this novel.)