In her latest novel, “The Hunger We Pass Down,” Canadian writer Jen Sookfong Lee delves into the unsettling aspects of motherhood. She poses a thought-provoking query: What happens when one’s familial history is tangled and intricate, and they bring a child into the world? Can they break free from the past and create a different path for their offspring?
During her pregnancy, Lee pondered these questions deeply. Despite her usual cynicism, she found herself contemplating the opportunity to be a better mother than she had ever known. Reflecting on the transformative journey of parenthood, she expressed a mix of horror and hope, envisioning a future of possibilities and shared goodness with her unborn child. Yet, she also acknowledged the disconcerting realization that one day, she might see her own mother reflected back at her in the mirror.
“The Hunger We Pass Down” narrates the saga of five generations of women within a Chinese Canadian family haunted by concealed family truths. Lee skillfully intertwines their ancestral demons into a chilling ghostly narrative, aiming to disrupt traditional storytelling norms and portray women not as passive figures but as fierce warriors battling supernatural forces.
Central to Lee’s narrative is the belief that women carry the burdens of their family’s narratives, traumas, and memories. By exploring suppressed mental health struggles and the transformation of suffering into something otherworldly within her book, Lee strives to spark conversations that foster deeper understanding and empathy, particularly in a societal landscape where women’s rights are increasingly under threat.
By shedding light on the darker aspects of women’s experiences in a supernatural context, Lee aims to provoke reflection and empathy, inviting readers to engage in a dialogue that transcends the ordinary bounds of storytelling.
For more insights from Jen Sookfong Lee, you can listen to the full interview on the podcast “Q with Tom Power,” available on various podcast platforms.