The Magnolia Sword, by Sherry Thomas

Title: The Magnolia Sword: A ballad of Mulan
Author: Sherry Thomas
Genre/ issues: Historical fiction. YA. Retelling of a traditional/ familiar story. Gender roles.

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump. In fact, when I scrolled back to find out what number I was up to in my #2020readingchallenge I had to go back to March 9. Whilst I’ve been encouraging others to find solace and inspiration during this pandemic in stories, I’ve been struggling to do the same for myself.

At the beginning of the year, I started running a Thursday lunchtime #ReadWithMe session. Rather than eating lunch at my desk, I’d make the effort to take a book into the kitchen, sit, and read for half an hour. I’d take in a pile of anthologies and collections of non-fiction essays so that anyone who wanted to join us but didn’t have a book they were reading could pick something up and get through it in the session without feeling pressured to commit to a whole book. Now were are all working remotely, I’ve been continuing to encourage others to do this, but hadn’t been fully committing myself, so last week, I dragged myself to the couch during cracked open this gem of a book.

I finished it that night. Such a beautiful, sensitive and culturally respectful retelling of the ballad of Mulan, The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas deals with issues of gender and power, the dangers of stereotyped expectations, and the problems of homogenising culture. It’s particularly powerful a message now as we are surrounded by so much hatred and anger being directed at China and its people – this book speaks to the importance of allowing people to find their own path, and not be victimised or tied down by expectations or identities that don’t fit them. Some great queer relationships that are delightfully represented, and some great reflections on the power of language and its role in representing history and a people’s place in it.
I do love me a Disney musical, but this book pays far greater respect to the story of Mulan than I’ve seen before – although I’m not gonna lie, there were moments that I broke out in an internal chorus of “let’s get down to business!”

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 16/52

Happy reading,