House of Kwa

Mimi Kwa

Publication Date: 9th May 2024

Publisher: Harper360

SYNOPSIS

The dragon circles and swoops … a tiger running alone in the night …

Mimi Kwa ignored the letter for days. When she finally opened it, the news was so shocking her hair turned grey. Why would a father sue his own daughter?

The collision was over the estate of Mimi’s beloved Aunt Theresa, but its seed had been sown long ago. In an attempt to understand how it had come to this, Mimi unspools her rich family history in House of Kwa. 

One of a wealthy silk merchant’s 32 children, Mimi’s father, Francis, was just a little boy when the Kwa family became caught up in the brutal and devastating Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. Years later, he was sent to study in Australia by his now independent and successful older sister Theresa. There he met and married Mimi’s mother, a nineteen-year-old with an undiagnosed, chronic mental illness. Soon after, ‘tiger’ Mimi arrived, and her struggle with the past – and the dragon – began …

Riveting, colourful and often darkly humorous, House of Kwa is an epic family drama spanning four generations, and an unforgettable story about how one woman finds the courage to stand up for her freedom and independence, squaring off against the ghosts of the past and finally putting them to rest. Throughout, her inspiration is Francis’s late older sister, the jet-setting, free-spirited Aunt Theresa, whose extraordinary life is a beacon of hope in the darkness.

MY REVIEW

🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I knew I just had to read this book when I saw it being compared to Wild Swans, my favourite book.

And following in the footsteps of Jung Chang, Mimi Kwa tells the story of her own family, spanning four generations, in her own insightful way. She manages to insert some dark humour into the pages.

This is a warts and all story of the ups and downs of her family history. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and Mimi has a wonderful way of writing which brings the book vividly to life. Some of it makes rather difficult reading, but is necessary to tell her story, including servants, the family living through the Second World, suicide attempts, mental health issues. It was very difficult to read how some of the men treat their wives and children. Multiple wives at one time was acceptable and Mimi’s grandfather had 32 children to his 3 wives, appearing heartless by leaving ‘wife number one’ behind with some children when he fled the horrors of the Second World War with his other wives and children but he felt it was the only way forward.

I enjoyed getting to know Mimi’s Aunt Theresa. What a wonderful lady she was to raise herself up from nothing to become a very successful and much loved and admired lady. She lived and worked for the benefit of her family.

Mimi’s dad is another family member I enjoyed getting to know. He is both scary and hilarious. His attempt at setting up and running a ‘back packer travel resort’ hotel in Perth reminds me of Fawlty Towers! He has no filter. He thinks he can do anything and frequently tries. Chiropractor? Yes I can do that! He must have been a very interesting character for the hotel visitors.

Mimi has had an incredible life so far. Sadly she has experienced things no child should ever have to experience and received no support at the time. What a strong woman to have come through what she has and be able to tell her story.

A captivating story I could not put down.

ABOUT TRE AUTHOR

Mimi Kwa has been a journalist and television newsreader for twenty years as well as appearing in TV series and commercials.

She and her partner, John, live in Melbourne, with their four children, a cavoodle and a burmese cat. Mimi loves to paint and write.

This is her first book.