The Emperor Of Shoes by Spencer Wise – 336 pages
Book Blurb:
Alex Cohen, a twenty-six-year-old Jewish Bostonian, is living in southern China, where his father runs their family-owned shoe factory. Alex reluctantly assumes the helm of the company, but as he explores the plant’s vast floors and assembly lines, he comes to a grim realization: employees are exploited, regulatory systems are corrupt and Alex’s own father is engaging in bribes to protect the bottom line. When Alex meets a seamstress named Ivy, his sympathies begin to shift. She is an embedded organizer of a pro-democratic Chinese party, secretly sowing dissonance among her fellow laborers. Will Alex remain loyal to his father and his heritage? Or will the sparks of revolution ignite? Deftly plotted and vibrantly drawn, The Emperor of Shoes is a timely meditation on idealism, ambition, father-son rivalry and Cultural Revolution, set against a vivid backdrop of social and technological change.
My Review: 4 stars
The Emperor of Shoes touched on a subject matter that I found so important to our world today. How many times have I seen items with a Made In China label and never thought about the working conditions of the laborers? Too many to count! This book exposes so much of what happens behind the scenes while threading a great story about change, technology and family dynamics.
A contentious relationship between father and his son are at the heart of the novel as the son learns about the bribes and unethical business practices his dad has in place. Add a romance between the son and a Chinese activist posing as a factory worker to incite change, and things get quite juicy.
Wise’s respect for modern China and the heritage of both the Chinese people and Jewish people was apparent. Alex, the son, tries to impress upon his father that he is oppressing his workers, after Jews have fought oppression and persecution for centuries. It’s beyond ironic and well, moronic.
In regards to the actual writing, I found Wise’s style to be a bit choppy in certain areas of the book but in others there was a natural fluidity. Perhaps that’s due to it being a first novel for the author. I also found Alex’s characterization to be a bit flat and also somewhat green for a twenty-six year old man. He was easily manipulated and I suppose I wanted to know more about him to understand how he came to be that way. I enjoyed Die Jo and enjoyed the humor she provided.
The subject matter of social and moral issues was fascinating and really put a spotlight on business practices in South China, and how technology and societal awareness have created a change. I’m looking forward to what’s next from Mr. Wise.
Quotes I liked:
Russian, Jewish, American. How can you be all? Or do you pick one?”
-“It’s a bright moon outside, and from the window of my house I can see the skeletal gray of the factory, the banners draped like sashes and the deep arterial red of Mandarin characters demanding change, and I’m wondering how the fuck this Jewish kid from Boston could somehow wind up a YouTube hero in the Chinese Revolution.”
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