Review # 2 The House Behind a Weeping Cherry by Ha Jin

The House Behind a Weeping Cherry is a beautiful story of a man named Wanren, and a prostitute named Huong who run off together to start a new life. At the end of the story Wanren describes them leaving their old life, "as we strode away, arm in arm, without looking back," as if they had no doubts about leaving for the unknown. Wanren is a tenant whose housemates consist of three prostitutes, Nana, Lili, and Huong. He also drives the girls around to their clients, because the owner of the building helps oversee the prostitues and therefore allows him to pay less rent. Wanren works in a sweat shop and encourages the girls to work there so they can escape their lives of prostitution, which he views as a waste of their youth. The only one who has interest in a new life is Huong, but she is in dept of $14,ooo to the man she works under, because he brought her illegally into New York from China. The other thing Huong and Wanren have in common is their homesickness, and Wanren feels the most happy when Huong makes him wheaton noodles (which could only be found in his home province). The two decide to run away together as it is the only way to escape Huong's debt. I think this is a beautiful story, as it really concentrates on how these immigrants are looked down upon, and the lack of opportunity there actually is in America for these people. 

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