Winner of the 2023 Penguin Literary Prize, Michelle See-Tho’s debut, Jade and Emerald, is an emotional read set in Melbourne during the late 1990s.

Lei Ling Wen is a lonely 12-year-old girl, whose strict Chinese-Malaysian mother places heavy demands on her to study hard with no time for play. In turn their relationship becomes more fractured with every expectation that Lei Ling fails to meet. When Lei Ling is befriended by Gigi, a classmate’s glamourous aunt, her eyes are opened to the world of the wealthy. Encouraging Lei Ling to shirk her responsibilities to accompany her shopping and to eateries, Gigi soon becomes her friend much to her mother’s disapproval.

I felt quite heavy hearted as I read about the abuse Lei Ling suffers. The emotional roller-coaster of being torn between two worlds and hiding it from her volatile mother made for a tense read. Although the huge weight of guilt and shame she heaped on her daughter made me feel ill, I found that these scenes were a highlight of the story. Written with such raw honesty, it was difficult not to react emotionally.

Jade and Emerald is a challenging book to read, but the difficult scenes were balanced out by moments of friendship and happiness as well as glimpses of hope. The writing style was very easy to read and I was able to read it in a day. It’s a character-driven novel that I feel will stay with me. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Brooke Michie

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michelle See-Tho is a freelance writer and creative copywriter.