Lover’s Point by C. Y. Lee. Farrar, Straus and Cudahy (1958), 249 pp.
Chiang Fu, who’s pushing forty and has lived in the United States for nearly a decade, worries that his teaching job at the Army Language School in Monterey is about to disappear. He lives frugally, saving money to bring over his wife and children from communist China. One of his few indulgences is a weekly dinner at the Tokyo Garden. He likes the food, the atmosphere and the sexy waitress, Aika Yamamoto. She draws attention from other men as well, including army lieutenant John Larson. Much to Chiang’s surprise, Aika asks him to drive her home one night, then has sex with him for ten dollars. Then Chiang and Larson become friends after Larson, who has no idea of Aika’s after-hours job, gets into a fight defending her honor. Even more surprises are in store for Chiang in the days and weeks to come.
Lee once again looks at the Chinese immigrant experience in the United States. In The Flower Drum Song he focused on the continuities of Chinese culture in an American setting. The story was set entirely in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and all the characters were first- or second-generation Chinese. Here Lee is more interested in the immigrant as outsider. Chiang operates in the larger American society. He doesn’t work in Chinatown, he’s alone much of the time, and he feels comfortable hanging out in Mexican and Filipino bars. Aika, who lacks any kind of support from the Japanese community, has even more trouble finding a place for herself. The story is told from Chiang’s point of view. He’s in every scene, and his are the only thoughts that interpret events. The action slows down quite a bit after the opening described above, and the plot takes some digressive turns before getting back on track. Lee’s style may seem slightly stilted at first, but ultimately it complements the narrative. All in all, this book is worthy of a much larger audience than it now has.