Pao A Novel

by Young, Kerry

• ISBN13: 9781608195077
• ISBN10: 1608195074
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-07-05
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Summary

As a young boy, Pao comes to Jamaica in the wake of the Chinese civil war and rises to become the Godfather of Kingston's bustling Chinatown. Pao needs to take care of some dirty business, but he is no Don Corleone. The rackets he runs are small time and the protection he provides necessary, given the minority status of the Chinese in Jamaica. Pao, in fact, is a sensitive guy in a wise guy role that doesn't quite fit. Often mystified by all that he must take care of, Pao invariably turns to Sun Tsu'sArt of War. The juxtaposition of the weighty, aphoristic words of the ancient Chinese sage, and the tricky criminal and romantic predicaments Pao must negotiate goes far toward explaining the novel's great charm. A tale of post-colonial Jamaica from a unique and politically potent perspective,Paomoves from the last days of British rule through periods of unrest at social and economic inequality, though tides of change that will bring Rastafarianism and the Back to Africa Movement. Jamaica is transforming: And what is the place of a Chinese man in this new order?Paois an utterly beguiling, unforgettable novel of race, class and creed, love and ambition, and a country in the throes of tumultuous change.

Author Biography

Kerry Young was born in Kingston, Jamaica, to a Chinese-African mother and a Chinese father-a businessman in Kingston's shadow economy, who provided inspiration for Pao. Young moved to England in 1965 at the age of ten. She earned her MA in creative writing at Nottingham Trent University. Her second novel, Gloria, was a fiction finalist for the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature.

Table of Contents

"Against a backdrop of Jamaican history, a likable Chinese-Jamaican runs rackets in this eye-opening, rambunctious debut.... Young leads from the heart (her father served as a model for Pao) to celebrate a resilient world that tourists never see. You’ll enjoy the view." - Kirkus Reviews

 "Pao... confirms Young as a gifted new writer. Her novel is a blindingly good read... both for its mesmeric story-telling and the quality of its prose." - Observer (UK)

"With grace, authenticity and teasing humour, Kerry Young allows the political history of Jamaica to shine through the life story of her charming yet fallible hero. Brilliant." -Daily Mail (UK)