The Story Behind the Cover Art for My Novel

My debut novel, Daughters of Shandong, is based on my grandmother’s refugee experience during China’s Communist Revolution. It is a story about the resilience of women during and after armed conflict, and the sacrifices that each generation makes to lift up future ones. 

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I chose the title “Daughters of Shandong” because my grandmother’s origins were such an important part of her identity. Among Chinese people, it is common to ask a person where their lao jia, their “old home” is—the roots of their origin, which is not where they were born, but where their family is from and, traditionally, where their family tomb is. Though my grandmother’s remains are in Taipei, “Shandong” is carved onto her grave.

For this reason, I was thrilled when I found out that my publisher’s cover design team wanted to use an oil painting by an artist from Shandong, Mr. Wang Yidong. Even though I have read my own manuscript a hundred times, seeing their cover proposal with his painting, “Bird of Luck,” made me feel like I was finally meeting my novel.

There isn’t much about Mr. Wang in English, and he has a limited online presence, but through contacts in China, I learned more about him. It turns out that his work is inspired by the people of rural Shandong, in particular his hometown, Yimeng Mountains. He is most renowned for depicting joyful occasions, especially weddings. In his work, I saw themes that I have tried to convey in my own writing: resilience and hope, even when faced with hardship.

This past summer, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Wang in person when I went to China to visit family. Though my parents are living in Shenzhen, I took a trip to Beijing just so I could visit him.

Check out Eve J. Chung’s Daughters of Shandong here:

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Mr. Wang was incredibly kind, and wanted to know more about me and my book. In particular, he asked why I was interested in his art. I told him that his paintings capture the spirit of Shandong women in a way that nothing else I’ve seen has. My grandmother was born in a tumultuous time; parts of Shandong had been colonized by Germany, invaded by Japan, and controled by warlords before becoming a battleground for the Nationalists and the Communists. 

In my book, the main character says, “I was a Shandong child. Our people were known to be fighters, whether as soldiers, mercenaries, bandits, or bar brawlers. We had lived through so much violence and war that we saw conflict as akin to the forces of nature—something beyond our control, that we simply had to endure and adapt to.”

In “Bird of Luck,” I saw a strong girl—a brave girl, and, in some ways, an innocent girl. My grandmother lost her childhood to the Communist Revolution; she was only 13 when she had to face a denunciation rally and flee her home. She was forced to kneel on the ice until she almost died, and survived by picking from the trash and searching for edible weeds. Yet, despite her dark past, I remember my grandmother as a loving woman who smiled easily and laughed often.

When I told Mr. Wang about my grandmother, he told me something special about “Bird of Luck.” The girl in the painting is actually his own daughter!

At Mr. Wang’s home gallery, he has his works on display, including prints of the ones that have already been sold. Several of his subjects are members of his family. There were some lovely portraits of older women, which turned out to be of his 95-year-old mother. Back when Mr. Wang was younger, there were families that were so poor that everyone shared one pair of long pants. Whoever went out wore the pants, while the others huddled together under blankets. The economic situation in rural Shandong is much better now, but people in his hometown still retain their sense of community. In his gallery, Mr. Wang captures them vibrantly, almost defiantly.

I thought a lot about my grandmother while writing this book, and the Northern Chinese home that she was never able to return to. I told her story with what I imagined to be her voice, and one of my favorite lines from the novel is the following: “Wherever I am in this world, I remain as I was, and always will be—the wheat that bursts through Shandong soil, and the Northern flowers that bloom in snow.” 

If there is one sentence that encompasses how I remember my grandmother, it is that one. I am so grateful to have found an artist who can express that sentiment through his work, and to have a fellow daughter of Shandong grace my cover.

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