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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'A novel about growing up in a migrant Asian family with a mother who is suffering from mental illness, from the highly commended author of Freedom Swimmer.
'Anna Chiu has her hands pretty full looking after her brother and sister and helping out at her dad's restaurant, all while her mum stays in bed. Dad's new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and even though she knows that things aren't right at home, she's starting to feel like she could just be a normal teen.
'But when Mum finally gets out of bed, things go from bad to worse. And as Mum's condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other.
'A nourishing tale about the crevices of culture, mental wellness and family, and the surprising power of a good dumpling.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
Teaching Resources
This work has teaching resources.
Teachers' notes via publisher's website.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Large print.
- Dyslexic edition.
- Sound recording.
Works about this Work
-
Reading and Viewing
2020
single work
review
— Appears in: English in Australia , vol. 55 no. 2 2020; (p. 58-63)
— Review of The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling 2019 single work novel ; How It Feels to Float 2019 single work novel ; The Coconut Children 2017 single work novel ; The Yield 2019 single work novel ; Fire Front : First Nations Poetry and Power Today 2020 anthology poetry essay ; A Ghost In My Suitcase 2009 single work children's fiction -
Is Blood Everything? Four New Young Adult Novels
2019
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December no. 417 2019; (p. 54-55)
— Review of My Father's Shadow 2019 single work novel ; This is How We Change the Ending 2019 single work novel ; It Sounded Better in My Head 2019 single work novel ; The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling 2019 single work novel 'A whistleblower’s child hides from a drug ring in the Blue Mountains. A sixteen-year-old rolls through life like an armadillo. A Melbourne high-school graduate wrestles with her insecurities. The daughter of a Chinese restaurateur juggles her responsibility to care for her siblings as her mother’s health deteriorates.' (Introduction)
-
Is Blood Everything? Four New Young Adult Novels
2019
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December no. 417 2019; (p. 54-55)
— Review of My Father's Shadow 2019 single work novel ; This is How We Change the Ending 2019 single work novel ; It Sounded Better in My Head 2019 single work novel ; The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling 2019 single work novel 'A whistleblower’s child hides from a drug ring in the Blue Mountains. A sixteen-year-old rolls through life like an armadillo. A Melbourne high-school graduate wrestles with her insecurities. The daughter of a Chinese restaurateur juggles her responsibility to care for her siblings as her mother’s health deteriorates.' (Introduction) -
Reading and Viewing
2020
single work
review
— Appears in: English in Australia , vol. 55 no. 2 2020; (p. 58-63)
— Review of The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling 2019 single work novel ; How It Feels to Float 2019 single work novel ; The Coconut Children 2017 single work novel ; The Yield 2019 single work novel ; Fire Front : First Nations Poetry and Power Today 2020 anthology poetry essay ; A Ghost In My Suitcase 2009 single work children's fiction
Awards
- 2021 finalist Kirkus Prize — Young Readers' Literature
- 2020 shortlisted Prime Minister's Literary Awards — Young Adults' Fiction
- 2020 shortlisted Readings Prizes — The Readings Young Adult Book Prize
- 2020 shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) — Australian Book of the Year for Older Children
- 2020 CBCA Book of the Year Awards — Notable Book — Older Readers
Last amended 8 Nov 2022 12:20:25
Settings:
- Ashfield, Ashfield - Burwood area, Sydney Inner West, Sydney, New South Wales,
- Gosford, Central Coast, New South Wales,
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