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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Toyo learned to ask nothing, to wait and count the days. But they passed and passed and still the doorway remained empty of his deep voice, calling out her name.
'Blending the intimacy of memoir with an artist's vision, Toyo is the story of a remarkable woman, a vivid picture of Japan before and after war, and an unpredictable tale of courage and change in today's Australia.
'Born into the traditional world of pre-war Osaka, Toyo must always protect the secret of her parents' true relationship. Her father lives in China with his wife; her unmarried mother runs a café. Toyo and her mother are beautiful and polite, keeping themselves in society's good graces.
'Then comes the rain of American bombs. Toyo's life is uprooted again and again. With each sharp change and painful loss, she becomes more herself and more aware of where she has come from. She finds family and belief, but still clings to her parents' secret.
'In Toyo, Lily Chan has pieced together the unconventional shape of her grandmother's story. Vibrant and ultimately heart-rending, Toyo is the chronicle of an extraordinary life, infused with a granddaughter's love.' (Publisher's blurb)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
Recording and Remaking the Story of Mother
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Womens Book Review , vol. 25 no. 1 2013; (p. 23-25)
— Review of Toyo : A Memoir 2012 single work biography -
Paul Giffard-Foret Reviews Toyo by Lily Chan
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: Mascara Literary Review , December no. 14 2013;
— Review of Toyo : A Memoir 2012 single work biography -
Kibble Award for Author After Memoir Takes on a Life of Its Own
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 26 July 2013; (p. 17) -
Rare Asian Family Study
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 29 December 2012; (p. 20)
— Review of Toyo : A Memoir 2012 single work biography -
Homing In on an Extraordinary Life
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 20-21 October 2012; (p. 25)
— Review of Toyo : A Memoir 2012 single work biography
-
Books : Memoir
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Age , 8 September 2012; (p. 30)
— Review of Toyo : A Memoir 2012 single work biography -
Non Fiction
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 6 - 7 October 2012; (p. 23)
— Review of Toyo : A Memoir 2012 single work biography -
Homing In on an Extraordinary Life
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 20-21 October 2012; (p. 25)
— Review of Toyo : A Memoir 2012 single work biography -
Rare Asian Family Study
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 29 December 2012; (p. 20)
— Review of Toyo : A Memoir 2012 single work biography -
Paul Giffard-Foret Reviews Toyo by Lily Chan
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: Mascara Literary Review , December no. 14 2013;
— Review of Toyo : A Memoir 2012 single work biography -
Kibble Award for Author After Memoir Takes on a Life of Its Own
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 26 July 2013; (p. 17)
Awards
- 2013 winner Kibble Literary Awards — Nita May Dobbie Award — First published author
- 2010 winner Australian Centre Literary Awards — Peter Blazey Fellowship
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Osaka,
Honshu,
cJapan,cEast Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,