Cameron
Dokey has written more than thirty books for young adults, including several
titles in the Once Upon a Time series
of fairy-tale and legend retellings. She lives in Seattle, Washington.
Published
By: Simon Pulse
Year:
2009
ISBN:
978-1-4169-7168
Reading
Level: Grades 6 and up
Reader’s
Annotation:
Fiery, tomboyish, and skilled in the arts of combat,
Mulan is a wildflower like the orchids
she was named for. But does she have the mettle to go to war against China’s
greatest enemies, while hiding her gender from her fellow soldiers?
Plot
Summary:
Hua Mulan’s name means “wild orchid” and she lives
up to the “wild” part. Her mother died in childbirth and her father, the great
general Hua Wei, has been away at war for years, leaving her to be raised by
servants. All her life she's been allowed to defy the restrictions of girlhood, with lessons in reading,
writing, horseback riding, archery and swordplay from her male friend Li Po.
When a crippling wound forces her father to finally return home, she feels
certain that the stern, inscrutable general is ashamed of his tomboy daughter
and will never love her. But she soon finds that beneath his soldierly veneer
is a kind, open-minded man who admires her unique skills.
But a
year later, China is attacked yet again by its longtime enemies, the Huns. The
emperor decrees that every household must send a man to fight. Mulan knows that
if her father goes, his lame leg will make his death almost inevitable. She
can’t bear to lose him so soon after finding him, nor let her new, pregnant
stepmother Zao Xing be widowed. So in secret she rides forth, disguised as a
boy, to serve as a soldier in her father’s place.
Critical
Evaluation:
This
version of the legend of Mulan is a part of the Once Upon a Time series (no relation to the TV series of the same name), which consists of short paperback novels
by various authors retelling popular fairy-tales and legends for young adults.
The books in this series aren’t classic literature by any means, but they’re
still enjoyable light reading for fairy-tale loving teens and tweens. Wild Orchid is no exception.
Against all expectations of a YA novel,
this retelling of Mulan’s story has less depth
than the beloved Disney film, not more. This Mulan is free to be herself from
the start, excels as a soldier from the start, and faces none of the struggles
of her Disney counterpart. This might be truer to the original Chinese ballad,
but it’s much less dramatically effective. In place of real struggles, she
repeatedly fears the worst (that her father dislikes her, that her stepmother
will ruin her life, etc.) but for nothing. A further flaw is a romance subplot
far more stereotypically Disney-esque than Disney’s: love interest Prince Jian
is no ordinary army captain, but the emperor’s son, and Mulan calls him her
“soul mate” after just two interactions. We also have the repeated, clichéd and
grating assertion that Mulan is “not like other girls” (yes, those exact
words).
Still, the innate strength of the original tale
remains. Mulan is still a strong, intelligent, selfless heroine whose
father-saving courage and China-saving victory remain inspiring. Ancient
Chinese culture is effectively brought to life as well: both its social
inequalities (though these are more described than demonstrated) and the
beauties of its landscape, language and arts. I also give Dokey credit for making
her retelling feel distinctly different from Disney’s (though admittedly she
borrows a few key details from the film). It might not be great literature, but
it’s worth a read.
Curriculum
Ties:
•China
•Folklore
retellings
•Feminism
Challenge
Issues:
•Violence
Why
This Book?
Wild Orchid is far from the definitive version of the Mulan legend, but
it’s still an appealing light read for lovers of folklore retellings and
girl-power adventure stories.
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