Taiwan Travelogue

Don't you just love when a book is cleverly constructed? The concept and idea of this book were so smart it surprised me and entertained me from page 1. Brilliant examination of colonial power, wrapped up in a story of two young women eating and flirting. Taiwan is now on my bucketlist!

Taiwan Travelogue is a historical novel about Japanese writer Aoyama Chizuko visiting Taiwan during its occupation by imperial Japan. She is assigned a local guide to show her the country's culture and delicacies. But while Aoyama devours local specialties like she knows no tomorrow, she notices a strange distance between her and her companion. A novel that leaves just enough unsaid while the reader slowly notices masterfully woven themes of colonial violence, the reification of local culture into tourist fare, and just the absolute worst kind of stolen-glimpses-around-corners lesbian romance. If you like food, if you love history, if you're still looking for that special kind of pride read, this is your book.