Supporting Quotes for Sweet Mandarin

Sacramento Bee

“Sweet Mandarin Book heralds Beijing Olympic Games “Tse tells the edgy story of her grandmother, her mother and herself – three generations of women – and their tumultuous journeys of survival from mainland China to Hong Kong to Britain.”

Meniscus Magazine

“A wonderful memoir ….highly recommended”

“This memoir by Tse, is wrapped in the cultural and ancestral mystery of food, this memoir will be appreciated by general readers and students of Asian and women’s studies. Recommended for public and academic libraries.” Library Journal

Publishers Weekly.

“A delightful, well-written and at times painful memoir.”

Kirkus Reviews.

“An easy-flowing tale that subsumes historical changes in personal histories, especially the plight of the author’s grandmother.”

Amy Tan (Bestselling author – books include Joy Luck Club)-

“Sweet Mandarin is a banquet of family stories that take us from a small Chinese village to cosmopolitan Hong Kong and urban Manchester. Along the way, the ingredients of special dishes and a rich life are added: a homemade stock of hard life, a pound of tragedy, a spoonful of daring, a dash of curses, and dollop after dollop of sheer will. This is a family memoir of survival and victories, luck and determination, and perpetual mounds of dirty dishes waiting to be washed. ”

Art Smith (Oprah’s chef, bestselling author) –

“In our world of many cultures we seem to focus on those things that separate us. The two very important things that connect us worldwide are family and food. Wherever we go we all wish to be family, and food is the common thread that connects us all. The Tse Family and their beautifully written book, Sweet Mandarin, clearly demonstrates we are all family; and that simply, home-cooked food is the best way to show your love to your family of relatives and friends. In good times and sad times food connects us all.”

Xinran (best selling author – books include The Good Women of China)

“Read this book…the story of an amazing family – 3 generations of Chinese women and their sweet and sour, hot and bitter lives.”

David Tang (Chinese entrepreneur and owner of Shanghai Tang) –

“Helen Tse’s “Sweet Mandarin”, is not only a product of culinary history, but a sober reflection of the evolution of modern China in the last 70 years or so. It all typified a sweet tale of Chinese courage in the face of changes in the world. It also typified the sorrowful state of modern Britain, as her Mancunian restaurant was burgled and ransacked by local thugs. Not that such vandalism could break the indomitable Chinese spirit of such girls, as the Tse sisters were brought up and taught to be brave.”

Ken Hom (Chinese superchef) –

“Helen Tse tells a gripping tale of struggle, laughter, love and food that marks Sweet Mandarin as a must read book. It is not only an immigrant account of life but also a universal touching story of survival that will move your soul as well.”

Nancy Lam (Chinese celebrity chef)

“Sweet Mandarin is a story that unfolds beautifully but like an orange, it is both sweet and bitter”.

Newspapers and Magazines

“a heartrending and tender story of three generations of Chinese women who transform their lives” Wall Street Journal

Fascinating stuff – Metro

Tse captures the drama, colour and particularly the flavours of Lily’s life – Scotland on Sunday

“The hiss of the wok and scent of stir-fried vegetables practically leap out of Helen Tse’s book. She intertwines the story of her grandmother, Lily Kwok…and her family’s restaurant business. An excellent read.” First Magazine

“This story can be as sad as it is funny – but ultimately its message is that you can do anything you set your mind to. It’s the story of Lily Kwok as told by her granddaughter Helen. This is a real testament to the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and to how you can control your own destiny. Inspiring.” Fresh Magazine

“The novel is.. filled with suspense and unexpected twists, but …this is a true story. Tse has a simple narrative style that makes for comfortable reading, and her description of the various Chinese dishes will make your mouth water, while her message, ‘never give up’, will fill you up with hope. It is.. a story about indomitable spirit in the face of crushing adversity, rich with the exotic flavours of the food that saved them.” The Daily Star Weekend Magazine – Bangladesh

“Inspirational…a journey exploring roots and identity…a saga of immigrants…. from a foreign land to home” Shanghai Daily front cover story

Hardcover Publisher: Ebury Press, Random House ISBN: 0091913616

Trade Paperback Publisher: Ebury Press, Random House ISBN-13 9780091920197

Mass Paperback Publisher: Ebury Press, Random House ISBN-13 9780091913625

Hardcover American Publisher: St Martins Thomas Dunne ISBN: ISBN-10: 0312379366

Audiobook: BBC Books ISBN: 9781405604956