Yuki Carlsson

Bookreview of Fragments of Tess by Marlene F. Cheng

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by

Yuki Carlsson
in

The first half of the novel renders the reader as confused as the protagonist, before the shards of colourful glass are put together to reveal the beautiful mosaic of Tess, a self-made but shattered woman feeling closer to a stranger than to herself, recounting stories about Native Americans (Cree), Africans (Yoruba from Western Nigeria) and the farm-life of the poor early settlers in Canada.

This extraordinary work of psychology and philosophy is for readers into woman’s fiction or literary fiction, valuing an excellent way with words.

A personal word:
As an author of psychological literary fiction myself, writing about mental health, cultural awareness and philosophy, I look up to Marlene F. Cheng for the depth and eloquence with which she filled this brilliant work. I am sure every single one of my readers will love her novels.

To Fragments of Tess by Marlene F. Cheng

Comments

2 responses to “Bookreview of Fragments of Tess by Marlene F. Cheng”

  1. marlenecheng Avatar
    marlenecheng

    My heart goes out to you, Yuki. I’ve been wondering about you, and I must admit, I was a bit concerned. I was hoping that you were busy writing. How pleased I am that you have taken time to ‘look at your life’ and have a plan. Yes, non-fiction and erotica sells. Your knowledge in psychology and philosophy allows you to write non-fiction from many interesting angles and hopefully they’ll be a financial success. I truly wish the best for you.
    I, also, have been busy. I’m selling my home of fifty years and downsizing. You can’t imagine how much stuff one can collect in fifty years. My children and grown grandchildren (with new homes of their own) have been a wonderful help, as they take memorable pieces off my hands.
    Yuki, please take care. You need to take time for yourself.
    Love.
    Marlene.

    Reply
    1. Yuki Carlsson Avatar
      Yuki Carlsson

      Thank you Marlene for your kind words. I will keep you posted.

      Wow. Sorting 50 years of life must be a lot of work.

      I remember each time I moved after only 2 years at one place, I would bring like 10 boxes which were then stored in the cellar of my mother’s house. It was always wonderous when I visited her and looked into the boxes. Waves of memories emerged. “Oh! This is Sweden.” “Oh! This is my first stay in Japan.” “Oh! This is from when I wrote my doctoral thesis.”

      When I first moved into my own larger flat, I brought all the boxes with me and merged them in shelves and cupboards. It was marvelous to have all the keepsakes back. But what about the rest? Is it really something we need or do we just collect over the years?

      When I quit my job to become a writer, I moved around the globe with but a backpack. Even when I visited my mother who was once more taking care of all my life’s boxes, I didn’t need to open them much.

      Now, I moved into an apartment again and have everything with me, but I honestly wonder if I should only keep the objects that hold the value of memory for me and get rid of all the smaller things that I never needed in years.

      Long story short: I can imagine that a lot has accumulated for you in 50 years, most of which you don’t really need. But going through everything, you will find those treasures that speak tales of your life. It must be wonderful to move into a smaller place and have those truly valuable keepsakes surround you without clutter. I wish you good luck with your endeavor.

      Greetings from across the globe.
      Yuki

      Reply

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