Christina Matula’s Holly-Mei series was launched at the end of April with the first book The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei. The second book The Not-So-Perfect Plan will be out soon. This is great news for fans of Holly-Mei, and wonderful for readers who like series of books. We’re delighted that Christina agreed to do an interview with us. We particularly like her comment that the Holly-Mei books are for everyone.
The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei, by Christina Matula, illus. Yao Xiao (Harlequin, 2023). ISBN 978-1335428653)
Hi Christina, please tell us about yourself. What would you like our readers to know about you?
I’m a Canadian children’s author of mixed Taiwanese-Hungarian heritage. As a child of immigrant parents, I’ve always been curious about other cultures and far-off places, which led me to live abroad, firstly in the UK then in Hong Kong. After moving to Hong Kong, I took the opportunity to learn Mandarin – a personal goal of mine – and it was there that I was able to really lean into my Chinese cultural heritage. Learning the language opened up the world of Chinese mythology, fables, and folktales, and made me passionate about sharing them. I had first heard the tale of Hou Yi and Chang’e, the archer and the Moon Lady [see post no. 4], in my daughter’s Chinese lesson, and I went looking for a book in English about it. I couldn’t find one, so I decided to write it myself, which became my first book, the picture book The Shadow in the Moon, about the legend behind the Mid-Autumn Festival and modern family celebrations.
For my second book, I wanted to share the joy of living in and discovering Hong Kong from a young foreigner’s perspective, particularly one who is western-raised and of Asian heritage, like myself. The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei tells the tale of a 12-year-old girl of mixed Taiwanese-British heritage who moves to Hong Kong for her mother’s new job. It’s the first in a series of three books and they all touch on places and activities in Hong Kong that meant a lot to me when I lived there.
Recently, there seems to be a growing number of books about children and teenagers of East Asian (and other) heritages trying to fit into or find their way in western (usually English-speaking) environments. Have you noticed this too? If so, what do think has changed or prompted this development?
In the last few years, I have noticed a large number of published books about the East Asian experience featuring immigrants or children of immigrant parents. I think it’s wonderful to finally see these stories out in the world – not only so readers can see themselves and their experiences mirrored in what they read, but also so readers from other cultures can find connections and develop empathy. I think this has come about because authors of East Asian heritage are ready to tell their own stories, tired of seeing books where people who look like them are relegated to supporting characters, sidekicks, or caricatures. Publishers probably also recognize that the make-up of English-speaking countries has become much more diverse and that these stories have value, not just in a business sense, but in the truth they tell. I hope that the Holly-Mei series will help to widen the lens of Asian and mixed-Asian stories and the unique perspective they can bring.
Millie seems to settle into Hong Kong life very easily, whereas Holly-Mei seems to find it more difficult. Millie has a different character and interests, but there isn’t a huge age gap between them. Could you comment about their relationship and the differences and similarities in their characters?
Both Holly-Mei and Millie are written based on observations of my own family and friendship dynamics, with a hint of Jane Austen’s Lizzie and Lydia thrown in. Holly-Mei likes rules and boundaries, which help guide and comfort her, but she is also not afraid to question and challenge things. She’s not too bothered about clothes, makeup, and popularity, and spends her time being active and playing sports. Millie on the other hand is carefree and likes to do as she pleases, even if it means modifying a recipe or having a secret stash of makeup. She’s outgoing and has a naturally magnetic personality, which sometimes leads to conflict with her sister, who is envious of the ease with which Millie navigates the world. Both sisters are happy and confident in their mixed-race heritage and are eager to make the most of their Hong Kong experience.
In your Holly-Mei stories you introduce words and expressions in Mandarin, Cantonese and also Polish and Philippino foods. You also have Ah-Ma speaking in broken English. Please could you comment on this? How conscious a decision was it to do this?
The choices made in the book were deliberate. I wanted to show – through both language and food – how adaptable and open children can be as they float between a household made up of one culture and the outside environment in a different culture. Holly-Mei’s Mandarin skills are not great, as she is a second-generation immigrant and speaks English with her parents, but she still has a loving relationship with her Taiwanese grandmother, Ah-ma, and they communicate from the heart. Ah-ma’s cadence and conjugation are similar to my own mother’s way of speaking and reflect the way English was expressed around me in my childhood from my extended family and local Taiwanese community. In terms of food, Holly-Mei loves typical western-style grilled cheese sandwiches as well as the traditional Chinese jiaozi she makes with Ah-ma. She also is excited to try new dishes, like her housekeeper’s pancit and adobo, which adds to the characterization of Holly-Mei and Millie as open and appreciative of their diverse surroundings.
We’re intrigued to know more about the Holly-Mei series. Could you give us a taste of what’s to come?
Book two, The Not-So-Perfect Plan is out now in the US/Canada and will launch in the UK in April 2024. It follows Holly-Mei and her friends as they participate in a city-wide competition in Hong Kong and features the Lunar New Year holiday. I’m currently editing Book three, The Not-So-Simple Question, where Holly-Mei goes on a school trip to Taiwan and thinks about what it means to be of mixed-heritage.
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery (image source: A Mighty Girl); Are you there God? It’s me. Margaret, by Judy Blume (image source: Goodreads)
Finally, would you tell us about your own childhood reading? What did you read as a child? Any favourite books or authors? Any particular person or place you associate with your early reading?
I’ve always loved books with a strong female character – Anne of Green Gables is one of my favourites. Judy Blume and her books about change, coming of age, and being different always resonated with me – they have a universal appeal and I guess that is why they are still on children’s bookshelves decades later. I spent many years of my childhood in Brownies and Girl Guides – it was the books we talked about when we gathered after meetings and at camp, by flashlight in our tents, that I remember the most.
I wish there had been more diverse characters in the books back when I was growing up. I don’t remember any books featuring Chinese or East Asian characters, and definitely no one mixed-race, so as a child, I felt like my sister and I were the only mixes in the world – even though we both had a very happy childhood, we knew there was something different, unique, about our situation. That’s why having diverse books is so important – so kids know there are others out there that can understand their experiences.
Thank you, Christina! We look forward to seeing more in the Holly-Mei series.
Follow Christina Matula:
- website: https://www.christinamatula.com/
- twitter: @MatulaChristina
- facebook: christinamatulaauthor/
- instagram: christinamatula/
- goodreads: Christina_Matula
Chinese books for young readers 