Focusing on the emotional complexities faced by Taiwan's second-generation mainlander writers, this book explores their literary portrayals of identity. It delves into the ambivalence these authors experience regarding their connections to both Taiwan and China, highlighting the unique cultural and emotional landscape that shapes their narratives.
Introduction: What's in a name? : second-generation mainlander writing as a genre -- Constructing the mainlander : self, other, and homeland in Chu Tien-hsin's Everlasting and Yuan Chiung-chiung's This love, this life -- Seeking a new identity : Su Wei-chen's Leaving Tongfang and Chu Tien-hsin's "In remembrance of my buddies from the military compound" -- In quest of the absent mainlander father : family, history, and mainlander identity in Hao Yu-hsiang's The inn and Lo Yi-chin's The moon clan -- Inventing a Taiwanized Juancun : Lai Sheng-chuan and Wang Wei-chung's The village -- Happily ever after? : homecoming and mainlander identity in Chiang Hsiao-yun's Peach blossom well -- Conclusion and epilogue: "Mainlander" as an identity of in-betweenness.