《娘惹回憶錄》張福英 'Memories of a Nonya' Queeny Chang

《娘惹回憶錄》張福英 'Memories of a Nonya' Queeny Chang

Emily推薦:
本書是作者張福英在84歲時寫成的自傳。她用細膩溫和的文字，描繪在時代洪流下，一名女子與大歷史、與各種不同價值觀衝擊碰撞、尋找自我出路的「小」人物生命經歷。

作者來頭並不一般，她是印尼棉蘭鉅富與華人領袖之女，從小往來皆為上層人士，包括棉蘭的蘇丹王室，和荷蘭殖民統治下的官員。後來她和台灣板橋林家跨洋家族聯姻，成為板橋林家的媳婦。

她成長於荷蘭殖民統治印尼的時代，她見證清朝覆滅、世界大戰的爆發，和大戰前後中國的動亂。她環遊歐洲，還利用她的多語才能為當時的中華民國外交部工作。

複雜流動的國族與身份認同、不停衝撞的價值觀、女性的身份視角，讓我們能從她的生命經驗閱讀出有別於大歷史及男性視角下的東亞近代史。

Recommended by Emily:
The book is an autobiography written by Queeny Chang. Writing at the age of 84, she portrays her entire life in delicate and gentle language, showcasing an 'ordinary' woman navigating through the tides of history, encountering various clashes with different values, and seeking her own path amidst the impact of the historical waves.

In fact, the author has a non-ordinary background. She is the daughter of the Chinese business tycoon and local Chinese community leader in Medan, Indonesia.

The complex and fluid identity regarding nation and race, the constant clash of values, and her woman's perspective allow us to gain a unique insight into East Asian modern history from her life experiences, which greatly differs from the grand historical and male-centric narrative.