“A fun and fascinating look at the intricacies of Chinese traditions surrounding pregnancy and birth, from nutrition to numerology. Simon Gjeroe offers a friendly helping hand to other foreigners attempting, like him, to navigate a path through a landscape of often perplexing cultural differences.”

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

Despite spending most of his waking hours for the last two decades working and living in China (and often dreaming in Chinese as well), Simon Gjeroe had no clue what to expect when his wife, Fu, got pregnant.
In this extraordinary memoir, Simon recalls his journey from his first encounter with China as a young adventurous student in Sichuan, where he met his future wife, to the Chinese world of marriage, eating dog penis, pregnancy and fatherhood, always trying to strike a balance between the “tiger mom” and “cat father” and two very different cultures and backgrounds. There are some really funny moments here, but also food for thought.

On the surface China is developing at the speed of light, but underneath that, age-old customs, traditions and superstitions still play a very important role in most people’s everyday lives, and that is especially true when it comes to pregnancy and having children.
Based on his personal story and years of research, Made in China is a splendid and humorous narrative that reveals Simon’s love for a country full of contradictions and absurdities; a wealth of information on becoming a parent in China with answers to questions about placenta-eating, dealing with in-laws, and oversized teddy bear-overalls.
This unique and funny story is accompanied by delightful illustrations made by Danish cartoonist Ina Korneliussen and just adds a very personal feel to the book.

 

Reviewed by:

Mr. Andersen

Added 24th June 2021