Take Away

by Angela Hui
Take Away cover
Good Books rating 4.17
Technical:
  • ID: 1061
  • Added: 2025-09-24
  • Updated: 2025-09-24
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
thisbookchangedmylife.substack.com · Unknown · 2025-09-24
heartfelt 4.50

Take Away by Angela Hui offers a humorous and heartfelt exploration of growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural Wales, highlighting themes of family, labor, and generational trauma. The book beautifully captures the experiences of immigrant families and the challenges they face, making it a relatable and poignant read.

Angela Hui's Take Away is a delightful and moving memoir that delves into her childhood experiences growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural Wales. The book is filled with humorous anecdotes and tender moments, such as family dinners before service, and also addresses the serious issues of racism and isolation faced by her family. The author's writing is relatable and heartfelt, making the reader appreciate the love and sacrifice that goes into every dish served. This book is a beautiful representation of the immigrant experience and the universal themes of food, labor, and survival. It's a must-read for anyone interested in stories of resilience and cultural identity.

Quick quotes

    Despite its ‘inauthenticity’, the Chinese takeaway has proved to be a huge success for over 50 years and has become and institution across the UK. These Chinese outposts settled in largely white communities, offering mildly exotic Chinese food to Brits who had never even heard of soy sauce and were more accustomed to eating beans on toast. Takeaways tended to avoid direct competition, so you’ll rarely see more than one Chinese takeaway in the same village; this is why the ESEA (East and Southeast Asian) community here in the UK feels so dispersed and isolated compared to big cities and communities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

    Angela’s writing is so relatable. Chinese takeaway can’t taste the same again when you know how much love, sacrifice, and soul families have put into each dish. Finally takeaway food is represented wholeheartedly by someone who really gets it

    [Takeaway] points to something very universal: about food, about labour, about survival in a new place, about shame, and about the inheritance of generational trauma. It also happens to be exceptionally funny

librofulltime.wordpress.com · Unknown · 2023-09-30
important 4.00

The reviewer found 'Take Away' to be an important contribution to British narratives about East and Southeast Asian communities' lived experiences. They appreciated the exploration of themes such as family violence, domestic abuse, and the pull between family expectations and the outside world. The reviewer also noted the book's use of gross-out humor and cartoons, which added a YA feel but also enhanced the story.

The reviewer found 'Take Away' to be a compelling read that sheds light on the lived experiences of East and Southeast Asian communities in the UK. The book's exploration of family violence, domestic abuse, and the tension between family expectations and the outside world resonated with the reviewer. The use of gross-out humor and cartoons added a unique layer to the story, giving it a YA feel while also deepening the narrative. The reviewer appreciated the book's important contribution to British narratives about these communities and found it to be an eye-opening and heartfelt read.

Quick quotes

    Anyway, why was Tina asking me where I’m _really_ from, as if I couldn’t possibly be from here. I always thought I was from here. Can’t I just be from here?

    I will never know the intense beacon of a single, clear ancestry, and it radiating pull wherever I am in the world. But I will know the gentle pulse of two familiar islands, on opposite ends of the earth, beating softly across Eurasia. Each in my possession. Each possessing me. Each the other’s completing half. Each home.

    The narrator follows the author (we find in a note at the end) in changing from only presenting the positive sides of her life to laying it out for all to see, and that’s where the domestic abuse from her (another angry) father comes in.

foyles.co.uk · Unknown · 2023-07-20
insightful 4.00

Take Away by Angela Hui is a poignant exploration of the immigrant experience, blending humor and serious themes of family violence and domestic abuse. The novel's diary format and cartoons add a unique layer, making it a compelling read that sheds light on the lived experiences of East and Southeast Asian communities.

Take Away by Angela Hui is a deeply personal and insightful novel that delves into the complexities of the immigrant experience. The story is told through a diary format, which, along with cartoons, gives it a young adult feel while tackling serious themes such as family violence and domestic abuse. The narrative effectively balances humor and gravity, making it a compelling read. The novel explores the tension between the family's hard work in the takeaway business and the outside world, highlighting the racist abuse and cultural challenges faced by the protagonist. It's a significant contribution to British narratives about East and Southeast Asian communities' lived experiences. The reviewer found the book eye-opening and important, appreciating its blend of humor and serious themes.

Quick quotes

    Anyway, why was Tina asking me where I’m _really_ from, as if I couldn’t possibly be from here. I always thought I was from here. Can’t I just be from here?

    I will never know the intense beacon of a single, clear ancestry, and it radiating pull wherever I am in the world. But I will know the gentle pulse of two familiar islands, on opposite ends of the earth, beating softly across Eurasia. Each in my possession. Each possessing me. Each the other’s completing half. Each home.

    The narrator follows the author in changing from only presenting the positive sides of her life to laying it out for all to see, and that’s where the domestic abuse from her (another angry) father comes in.

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