The book A Short History of Longans looks at the history of an Irish-Chinese family over two hundred years. It uses family objects to explore important themes such as identity and memory.

《龍眼簡史》這本書回顧了一個愛爾蘭裔華人家族兩百年的歷史。它利用家族物件來探討身份認同與記憶等重要主題。

The story focuses on four main characters: Daniel, who lives in the future year 2049; Wendy, who suffers from early Alzheimer's in the early 2000s; Ruby, a movie star from the middle of the century; and Maria, the family matriarch from the 1850s. The family line begins with Ah Yang, a Chinese Australian outlaw, and ends with Daniel. The plot is triggered when a longan tree falls down; because this tree was a symbol of the family's roots, its collapse leads the characters to examine their ancestors.

故事圍繞著四位主角：生活在未來 2049 年的 Daniel；在 2000 年代初期患上早發性阿茲海默症的 Wendy；一名世紀中葉的電影明星 Ruby；以及 1850 年代的家族長輩 Maria。家族血脈始於一名華裔澳洲法外之徒 Ah Yang，並終結於 Daniel。情節由一棵龍眼樹倒塌而觸發；由於這棵樹是家族根源的象徵，其崩塌促使角色們開始審視他們的祖先。

To connect these different time periods, the author uses a family journal based on her own real-life records. This book, which contains old recipes and wartime cooking tips, acts as a bridge between relatives. The author emphasizes that these home archives help people keep their identity even as time passes. Furthermore, the story explores how trauma is passed down through generations, suggesting that feelings of shame and regret are often inherited. Finally, the way the story is told changes from a strict timeline to a more natural flow, which reflects how the family adapted to a new culture and dealt with issues of race and gender.

為了連結這些不同的時間段，作者使用了一本基於其真實生活記錄的家族日記。這本書包含了舊食譜與戰爭時期的烹飪技巧，充當了親屬之間的橋樑。作者強調，這些家庭檔案能幫助人們在時間流逝中依然保持其身份認同。此外，故事探討了創傷如何代代相傳，暗示羞恥感與遺憾往往是被繼承的。最後，敘事方式從嚴格的時間線轉變為更自然的流動，反映了該家族如何適應新文化並處理種族與性別問題。

The book ends by bringing together broken memories, showing that while family connections continue, individuals can still feel isolated.

本書在結尾將破碎的記憶拼湊在一起，顯示出雖然家族聯繫持續存在，但個體依然會感到孤立。