Book Review || Why We Eat Fried Peanuts (2025)
"Meng’s father shares with her the family story of tài nai nai, Meng’s great-grandmother and a very important ancestor for the family."
This sweet little book offers young readers the opportunity to dive into the intergenerational tradition of the main character’s family. The story welcomes readers to the family’s home on the eve of a great celebration, illustrating beautiful imagery of warmth, joy, & adoration. Yet, with this being said, there were a few aspects of this book that I found a bit tricky & I wonder whether a younger reader might find themselves, as I did, confused.
Meng’s father takes the time to explain why their family eats fried peanuts. He begins by drawing Meng back in time. Her father remembers Meng’s great-grandmother fondly as the person who kept their family unit together, even going so far as to adopt a child who, otherwise, would not have been given the same opportunities as he had growing up with her. The ways Meng’s father uses to describe the grandmother are heartwarming, but he admits that he does not know her first name.
This felt particularly odd to me & I acknowledge that there might be a cultural component that I am missing. The story seems to state that it is not unusual for everyone to call this maternal figure by another name, & forgive them for forgetting her birth name altogether. I do not understand how so much of her life could be remembered & cherished, but amidst this, no one took the time to remember her name. Rather than feel warmed by the time spent reflecting on her good deeds, the lack of care taken concerning her person felt disrespectful.
Alongside the story & my feelings of unease about the grandmother’s name, I found the inclusion of Chinese vernacular very important to the story. I was glad to see so much care taken by the author when writing dialogue that felt as though it were written as someone would speak it, with emotions & the weight of actual memories. Although I have a penchant for linguistics, because the words did not have phonetic breakdowns, I remained a bit perplexed about the pronunciations. I suppose that an Anglophone reader would not have this issue. Perhaps a reader who isn’t so concerned with saying the words with exact correctness may also fly through the story.
Ultimately, this was an enjoyable read. Although young readers may grow into reading this on their own, the experience of having the tale narrated will add another aspect of dynamism to the experience. The author has taken care to include important notes at the end of the book & a recipe for the fried peanuts that I admit I am eager to try for myself. All things considered, this book on a young reader’s shelf will have its place amongst their greatly enjoyed stories.
Thank you to Edelweiss+, Becker&Mayer! Kids, & Zed Zha for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
C. 💌