The Girl with the Butterfly Hands

This book follows the life of Chin Yu, a Eurasian woman who, although born in a London slum and brought up in a conservative colonial Hong Kong family, became a dancer/actress on Broadway and then London.

---

Chin Yu was born in a London slum to a Chinese man and a British woman. When Chin was seven the family moved to her father's village in China but he died soon after they arrived. Her mother took the children to live in Hong Kong where, a few years later, she remarried.

A few months after Britain had joined World War II, all British women and children were ordered to be evacuated to Australia. However, Chin and her brother were excluded because of the White Australia Policy, so they returned. Eighteen months later the Japanese invaded Hong Kong and Chin's family were interned in a camp. Although there was great deprivation, Chin fell in love - with a Roman Catholic priest. He was released by the Japanese along with other missionaries to China and, a few months later, she and her brother were released as part of an exchange of American and Japanese civilian prisoners of war.

After a long sea journey, they arrived at New York but found themselves suspected of being Japanese spies and were detained on Ellis Island until the employers of their uncle in Oregon agreed to sponsor them. After a few months in Eugene they moved to San Francisco where Chin worked in the propaganda section of the British consulate and she met her first husband, Dick Ellison, who converted her into a passionate socialist. They moved to New York where they were befriended by many radical activists in Greenwich Village.

Chin studied ballet and got a part in the original production of "South Pacific" on Broadway. After more than a year she went to London as a dancer in the UK production of "Kiss me Kate". After six months Dick came to London wanting a divorce.

Many friends helped her get over him. She even had started having an affair with another actor when she was cast as an understudy in the UK production of "South Pacific". Her opposite number was David Williams, an Australian who was married and had a daughter. But they fell in love anyway and had an intense on-again-off-again relationship for the duration of "South Pacific" both in London and during its British tour - 3 years in toto - until David got divorced.

Chin left the tour early to play in "Teahouse of the August Moon" in London. David and she did eventually get married in 1954. They bought a house near Victoria Station and in 1956 a son and daughter (twins) were born. Chin had minor roles in various films, TV plays and even a (non-singing) role in an opera but she was best known for her performance of "hand-mime" - beautiful hand gestures choreographed to express lyrics which David often sang in their cabaret act.

The family moved to Beckenham, Kent, which is just outside London. Lynne came to live with them and Chin had a difficult time trying to teach her "common sense" and the rudiments of taking care of a household.

In 1960 Chin was in a play "A Majority of One", David was managing the Pembroke Theatre nearby in Croydon. All seemed perfect until they heard that David's father was very ill. They decided to move to Australia. Unfortunately, they were too late to see David's father, but all his family welcomed Chin very warmly.

The last chapter summarises Chin's life (another fifty years) in Sydney. She was a very supportive wife, a loving and generous mother and stepmother and later a devoted grandmother. Although she never regained the celebrity she had enjoyed in London, she still played a significant role in the Australian entertainment industry.