Book Reviews/A Writing Journey
On a visit to New Zealand some years back, I took over one hundred photos in one day at an important setting in a historical fiction manuscript I was preparing. Many were of signs that I didn’t actually refer to once I began writing, but having all those photos allowed me to choose the best fit. For example, the photo above may seem insignificant, but it was a location two characters passed over. Without the photo I would have forgotten this tiny detail.
Continue reading “More on research”
In the early 1900s when Sunja falls pregnant, she refuses to be mistress to a wealthy man she discovers is already married. Instead she accepts an offer of marriage from a minister, and they soon leave Korea for Japan.
This is a four generational tale exploring Japan’s attitude towards Koreans as well as the family’s struggles to survive. A compelling story. And I’ve decided to reblog this exceptional book because of the current controversy on Twitter over a Nike advertisement depicting racism in Japan.
African American Evan grew up an orphan in a small Mississippi town. When he meets Valuable, the daughter of the town whore who doesn’t know who her father is, their lives change. Both want a family, something neither of them have, but can this racial combination survive in the 1950’s racist south?
Pearl’s father is a missionary in China. When Pearl befriends a Chinese girl her own age, Pearl and Willow become inseparable. But under Mao’s repressive regime, Pearl’s family is forced to flee China. For years, the friends have no contact with each other because Pearl fears this could endanger Willow’s family, but will they ever meet again?
This story is based on Pearl S. Buck’s early life in China where she developed a deep love of the country.
Read and Write 
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