Crafting a Reliable Historical Narrative through Adult Retrospection on Childood Experiecne


Courtney A. Cannon

Blog Post—The Charm Buyer—A Novel by Lilian Howan

7 October 2017



Topic: Historical Memory

Question: How to prepare a reliable narration.



           

One might become lost and not know just where to begin when creating a vast world of rich heritage and lineage personified in various characters with intricate connections, especially if such a family tale is set in history. How can a narrative be reliable? How do you incorporate memories of histories that are shared by multiple perspectives? How do you craft an intimate tale with respect to the subjects and objects? Lilian Howan’s answers to these craft questions are found in the development of her vast novel in the very first chapters. How she creates a believable world through the voice of Marc and his perspective on that world and the subjects/ objects within it, is established through his retrospective reflection of his earliest memories. His reflection of the magical connections that originally ground him to his Hakka heritage, and the entire tale to the mythical realm, his memories of his A-Tai. It is no accident that the novel is told in Marc’s adult voice, nor that his narrative moves through memories told to him long past, of his parent’s romance, split, and his coming to a child’s magical world of safety and love. The strangeness of the setting, his physical memory of the smells of heaps of herbs and burnt garbage, and the taste and sickness of her medicine, the lizards turning into the tales of her great-uncles, the jars, his basket of clothes—all connections to a unique people. Why start with memories of childhood? It is where we all begin; it is reliable; and colors the memories with child-like magic that adult skepticism tarnishes with experience much later. The child-like magic of memories makes Marc’s adult voice reliable. The magical connection with the folkloric tales to his A-Tai ground the larger narrative to come. Once more, the abrupt interruption of rude “reality” with his father’s intrusion into this strange, yet idyllic childhood, adds another layer of truth to the Marc’s aloof and sarcastic older voice. Marc introduces us to descriptions of his untrusting and questionable visage and then moves to backstory and then to the cusp of manhood. A theme of “illusion,” things being hidden, the hypocrisy of beauty, and the truth in the mythical are all introduced subtly in his shared memories with his parents, A-Tai, her great-uncles, and his child-self. Later, the moves from his outer description, to family, and moving from various places, all connect the island, commerce, magic and healing, and love.

“The reputation of the whole fucking island was built on beauty. The sacred illusion. The sacred illusion” (13).

          “These were the stories that I knew, tales of magic. The charm was always kept hidden where it remained—true, powerful, and magical” (21).

          “You might say it’s about illusion. On another level, it’s about love—love between cousins” (29).

Howan, in a sense, prepares the reader for her vast historical narrative through the development of Marc’s historical memories. The illusion of his face, the reality of experiencing the island as a Hakka, the hidden nature of A-Tai’s wisdom, the love within familial relations are all touched upon very quickly in these first chapters, but it is the initial presentation of a strong protagonist voice reflecting upon the misty memories of a shared history through child experience that brings authenticity to this historical narrative.

Comments

  1. ElmazwritesOctober 8, 2017 at 6:01 PM

    Not many of us talked about historical memories in this book. It's very interesting since we see him turning away from his "role" and yet, he does speak the Hakka language and knows the magic of A-Tai. This is interesting that you call it preparation--but you're right--we are integrated into this world while the plot is moving forward. Nice observations.
    e

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