Revolution is not a Dinner Party

             As someone who has very little knowledge of Asian history and backgrounds, Revolution is Not a Dinner Party came as an incredible shock to me. This is the case with all the texts we have read so far, but this one in particular really struck me. Familiarizing myself with the time period and culture of the area was a challenge for me. Also I found myself sympathizing with several characters in the text, but could not truly visualize the events happening. Yet, Ling’s relationship with her family, classmates, and revolutionaries in China showcase her growth as a young child, struggling through this intense time in Chinese history.

            Recognizing this setting that Ling was in, was extremely difficult for me. I found myself involved in her story, but could not completely understand. I tired to familiarize myself of this history through the help of Google, but I still got lost. Though I had this challenge, I still read this book as the young adult fiction book that it is. Realizing Ling’s perspective of her surroundings allowed me to further feel her pain. For example, when Ling makes the connection between her mothers long white rope, and the long white rope around the baby doctor’s neck she fears for her mother’s safety. This then leads to a commitment to protect her mother. Again, the same theme follows where the child is looking out for the parent and it truly breaks my heart. This challenge led to yet another challenge of visualizing the surrounding of the text.

            I enjoyed Ling’s nicknames for certain people in the book such as Chopstick, Short Legs, and Mouse Eyes. It gave me the insight to her innocence, which I feel as if she was trying to hold on to that for as long as she could. Since so much of reading comprehension develops through visualizing the story’s world in one’s head, the story became more of a challenge. Though I had this struggle, I overcame it when discovering the varying relationships Ling had with the people around her.

            Ling has a distinct relationship with her father that shows how much this country is struggling. Honestly, when a doctor can be thrown in jail, but still be kept close because of his impeccable surgery skills, there has to be something wrong. So Ling’s relationship with her father develops and when he is snatched away from her, her world is turned upside down. Now feeling like she needs to take care of her mother, she does things such as lie to get meat. Survival is a great theme across many of the titles we have read, but this one especially. More people that Ling has good relationships with have been taken away from her such as Mrs. Wong and Nui. She also has a difficult relationship with her classmates; she has difficulty socially in school with fitting in. Violence ensues when her peers push her over the edge, which causes more trouble for Ling and her mother. Fortunately, Ling gets to reunite with her father and the story has a sense of closure.

            Overall, Revolution is Not a Dinner Party showcases several historical hardships that Ling struggled with, but it happens to be that it helped reach the destination of some sort of peace within herself and family. Though I had challenges with this book, I mainly feel that it is a great selection for children to take part in reading. It gives insight to a preteen’s life that is unlike many that we encounter in our lives.