Review of Sylvia’s Garden

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sylvia's Garden" by Diana Yu.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Julie Jefferson is a half-black, half-Korean woman navigating life in the United States in the 1970s. Despite the freedoms offered by American society, the strict Korean traditions are fighting to stay alive, and prejudices arise regardless. As a young woman, she fights to free herself from the lowly position given to women in the Korean hierarchy. She doesn’t want to be a slave to her husband like most Korean women of the time but desires to pursue a career as a teacher and marry the man she loves.

Fortunately, there is Sylvia Carter to rely on. Sylvia is a Korean woman well integrated into American culture and society. As a mother figure in Julie’s life, she’s more than happy to guide the younger woman in matters of the heart, especially when Julie finds herself falling for a man whose parents reject the mixed-race girl. Sylvia knows the importance of tending young seeds and is willing to help the couple overcome the stigma surrounding their relationship. With her help, Julie may become the beautiful flower that flourishes and adds vibrant color to the world around her.

Follow the journey in Sylvia’s Garden by Diana Yu. I loved how this author captured the Korean people’s struggles when integrating into American society. Throughout the pages, Yu depicts the racism and classism issues that threaten many families. I found it interesting to learn about the most damaging aspects faced by the younger Koreans as they tried to live up to strict traditions while living the more relaxed American lifestyle. It was easy to empathize with the plights of the youth, especially Julie and the other female characters who also faced gender inequality.

But what made this book truly fascinating was how the author also evoked an understanding of the actions of the older generations. At first, I was shocked by some of the expectations required of their children. I thought the marriage expectations specifically were outrageous. However, when I started to see the reasons behind the Korean traditions, I understood the elders in a new light. I felt the pain of losing their way of life in a new culture and how much making the changes hurt, but it was delightful to see the growth that came from embracing new traditions. Watching the characters overcome their prejudices and discovering what mattered most made for a beautiful and inspiring conclusion.

The only problem I had with the book was the giant time gap. After the first seven chapters, a ten-year leap forward created some continuity issues. For example, the author introduced a married couple before the gap, but after it, they had only been in the country for four months. In another instance, the Korean restaurant owned by Julie’s family that existed before the ten-year gap was only five years old afterward. These and other minor jumps made the timeline harder to follow, but otherwise, I did not notice any typos. Since the inconsistencies confused me while reading, I rate Sylvia’s Garden four out of five stars.

I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy exploring various cultures and their integration into American society. The author includes many Korean words, foods, and practices that were interesting to learn about. Minor non-borderline swearing and a few light sensual scenes exist occasionally throughout the book.

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Sylvia's Garden
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[George Bastem]

Your review thoughtfully highlights the cultural and emotional challenges in the story. I especially like how you emphasized the clash between tradition and freedom which is very relevant and well noted.

[LYDIAN7]

This story has true relevance and great connection to what real challenges people face because of the constant prejudice that people have.
It's very thoughtful of you as people can relate to it.