Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim

 

Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim 

         Chim, W. (2021). Freedom swimmer. Scholastic Press.  ISBN 9781338656138

          Inspired by the true story of Wai Chim's father's journey to America, Freedom Swimmer is a story of survival, hope, and the question of how far one would go for the promise of freedom. Told in alternating point-of-views between Ming, the main character, and Li, a member of the Red Guard, an unlikely friendship grows during a time when it seems bleakest.

         Freedom Swimmer does not shy away from detailing what the main character, Ming, and others go through. From the first chapter (which was the prologue), readers learn that Ming is now an orphan and one who had to take his mother's body to a river to join the others who had also passed away. HIis father?  Already dead, as he was one of the few who attempted to escape to Hong Kong, the fabled land where people could be free, could they swim across the ocean to a small island where they would be taken in as a refugee. Like many others, Ming's father attempted the swim, only to be caught and left for dead in the middle of the ocean, being branded as a traitor who attempted the "freedom swim."  Left to fend for himself, Ming must find ways to survive under brutal leadership or risk having an ending similar to his parents.

          Set in China during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, the book educates readers about the adversities that Ming and his friends, family, and comrades faced. Starvation is not an unfamiliar concept to Ming and others, as the book describes how Ming's mother would have to search through rice to ensure there were no worms before she could cook a traditional meal called congee.  Additionally, there were scenes where it was described that Ming and his friends had not had actual meat for months until the arrival of the Red Guard and how the community stopped showing up for the communal meals once the cook ran out of food and had to boil rocks to attempt to create a meal for everyone to eat.  In addition to starvation, there was no end to the verbal abuse the villagers faced, and it did not stop there.  If anyone was suspected of working against or even voicing something negative against communist China, they would be subjected to interrogations and verbal and physical abuse.

          Despite seeming like the world was against Ming, he never gave up hope. The promise of freedom always lingered in the back of his mind, especially since his father had attempted to reach freedom himself. The arrival of the Red Guard was unexpected and unwelcome, but Ming was able to make a genuine and unlikely friendship with Li from the Red Guard.  Having grown up very differently from each other, the boys got to learn and grow from each other, and ultaintely decided to take the ultimate leap of faith, with both boys choosing to make the Freedom Swim together.  Even though the swim starts together, both boys do not get the happy ending they longed for, as Ming makes the swim and arrives in Hong Kong, and Li, who encouraged both boys to swim, does not.  The flash-forward at the end of the book reveals that Ming has been working and saving money in Hong Kong to travel to America (which he does), but only after he learns that Li survived.  While Ming and Li had a happy ending, the reality is that many did not have the same fate they did.  If you know of someone who may have gone through a similar situation, ask them about it and see if they are willing to share the story with you, as you might learn a lot from them and what they went through to get to where they are now.  If you don't, many quick Google searches, such as "famous immigrant stories," may inspire you to learn more about the hardships many had to overcome.

          In Freedom Swimmers, Wai Chim starts the book off with a note about the phonetics of the story to inform readers that the spellings of nicknames and everyday words have been chosen at her discretion.   I would not have noticed that as someone unfamiliar with the language, but it was appreciated. Throughout the book, many phrases or words were written in Chinese, but directly after each word or phrase was a direct English transition that helps the reader understand the tone of the message.  In addition to Chinese words and phrases, Ming talks about some foods he used, compared to the present, which gives the reader a closer look into his life and what was normal in his culture.  Freedom Swimmers also had a slight romance between Ming and Fei (a girl from the village he liked). It was noted by Li, the other main character, that when it came to dating or relationships, the villagers were more traditional when it came to dating values, with Li even going as far as to say that in the city, boys and girls just talked casually. Differences such as those clearly establish the norm for Ming, as a young Chinese boy living during Communist China, and all the explanations are clearly and well written to educate the reader about Ming and his culture. 

          If you enjoyed Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim, you might also enjoy reading Elie Wiesel's Night Trilogy (Night, Dawn, and Day). What do readers think of Freedom Swimmers? Kirkus Reviews states that It is a "breathtaking journey" and "a compelling historical story that highlights timeless themes."

Awards and Honors

• Honoree Freeman Books Awards
• Shortlist Readings Young Adult Prize
• Shortlist Sakura Medal
• Longlist CBCA Book of the Year
• Highly Commended Victorian Preiem Literary Awards 

References 

Chim, W. (2021). Freedom swimmer. Scholastic Press.  ISBN 9781338656138

Kirkus. (2021, August 31). Freedom swimmer. Kirkus Reviews. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/wai-chim/freedom-swimmer/

Wai Chim Books. Wai Chim. (n.d.). https://www.waichim.com/#books