Homesick: My Own Story

"Told with an abundance of humor—sometimes wry, sometimes mischievous and irreverent—the story is vibrant with atmosphere, personalities, and a palpable sense of place."

"Fritz draws the readers into scenes from her youth in the turbulent China of the mid-twenties. One comes to appreciate the generous affection of her nurse/companion Lin Nai-Nai, the isolating distance in her mother's grief over losing a second child, the dynamics of a suffering population venting its hostility on foreigners, and most of all, the loneliness of a child's exile from a homeland she has imagined constantly but never seen. . . A remarkable blend of truth and storytelling."

"An insightful memory's-eye-view of her childhood . . . portrayed in an unfolding of events, many of which are extremely touching. . . Young Jean is a strong character, and many of her reactions to people and events are timeless and universal."

"It is a rare writer who can capture the intense feelings and bittersweet flavor of childhood as honestly and convincingly as Jean Fritz does."

"Every now and then a book comes along that makes me want to send a valentine to its author. Homesick is such a book. . . Pungent and delicious."

"Fritz's Newbery Honor-winning memoir of growing up during a turbulent time in China's history is 'rich in the telling observations of sights, sounds and people.'"