Hollow Bamboo

Loosely based on the author's family, this is a fictional tale about the author's grandfather's life - his beginnings in China and his subsequent move to Newfoundland where he struggled to fit in with the culture, language and faced much discrimination. 

The book is said to be 'hilarious' but besides the initial scene of the family dinner that millennial William Ping attends with his girlfriend's family, I found this book to be much more of a historical fiction read. It also includes a unique mythological beastie who guides Ping into the past, allowing him to witness his grandfather's (also named William Ping) journey from his family home in China to Newfoundland in the 1930's. Within Grandfather Ping's story, readers see the struggles he faced as an immigrant - the xenophobia, racism, limitations put upon Chinese immigrants by the Canadian government and the struggles these Chinese immigrants had with language and cultural identity. It was this part of the story that I found most compelling and eye-opening.

This book isn't the type of book I'd typically read, and it became a very different book than I had expected but I enjoyed getting a look at Newfoundlander culture and the beginnings of its Chinese community. I also liked the odd supernatural Mo creature and the humour in the initial scene, but I would have loved for the story to return to that fateful supper with Ping's girlfriend to frame the historical fiction parts of the book.

Through the two William Pings, readers witness what life was like for Newfoundland's initial Chinese immigrants, their sacrifices, struggles, bonds, and hard-earned successes as well as how some of the issues of racism and cultural identity still prevail with their millennial family members almost 100 years later.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to HarperCollins Canada for the complimentary copy which was sent in exchange for my honest review. #paidad #sponsored #ad

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: William Ping

Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Canadian

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from

Publisher: HarperCollins Canada

First Published: February 21, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: The hilarious and heartbreaking story of two William Pings in Newfoundland--the lost millennial and the grandfather he knows nothing about

William Ping's millennial life revolves around eating at restaurants, posting online about eating at restaurants, then overanalyzing it. This changes unexpectedly when a dinner with his Chinese girlfriend's family goes sideways and his insecurity about his biracial identity and his ignorance of his own Chinese heritage overflow like lava. During a much-needed break from the dinner table, Will is visited in the men's room by a sarcastic, bullying spirit named Mo. The spirit whisks him into the past to learn about the life of his grandfather, the first William Ping, who emigrated from China to Newfoundland in 1931 to work in a laundry.

Based on a true story, Hollow Bamboo recounts with humour and sympathy the often-brutal struggles, and occasional successes, faced by some of the first Chinese immigrants in Newfoundland. It is a journey of heartbreak, sacrifice, brotherhood and family ties. But most of all, it is about love and survival on the Rock.

Drawing on elements of magical realism, autofiction and satire, as well as deep historical research, Hollow Bamboo is a fresh and original portrayal of our past and our present, and the debut of an extraordinary new author.