A book for Mom!!

As Mother's Day approaches, I'm sure we're all scrambling to come up with ideas of what to give mom. Here's a little something to add to the list... Journey Across the Four Seas by Veronica Li.. She's stopping by my blog to tell us a little bit about her book..

FREE MOTHER’S DAY READ May 11 and 12:
JOURNEY ACROSS THE FOUR SEAS Kindle version

           

             She was one of the first Chinese women to go to college.  But wars and   She eventually brought the family to the U.S.  It's an inspirational story of the human will to survive and improve the lives of the next generation.  Writing the book was my way of thanking my mom for what she’d done for me.

revolutions upended her life and turned her into a refugee in search of a home.
JOURNEY ACROSS THE FOUR SEAS is a true story of my mother's life in China.

            Let me explain how I got to write this book.  About twelve years ago, my parents came from California to live with me in the DC area.  California had been the place we immigrated to in 1967.  I was the only one who came to the East Coast.  My four siblings were still in California, and they’d all taken turns in caring for my parents.  I felt that my turn had come.  I used to work for the World Bank, but I had quit my job to stay home and write.  As a writer, my schedule was the most flexible.  We held a family conference and we all agreed that I was in the best position to take care of my parents.

            Now, my mother was a fantastic storyteller, and she loved to tell stories about her life.  I’d listened to them many times when I was a child, and never gave them much thought.  But my friends heard them for the first time and were fascinated.  Somebody suggested that I write the stories down.  I also thought it was a good idea.  So I sat down with her and taped her stories.     
            Then came the question of whether to write it as a biography or a memoir.  My first inclination was to write it as a biography.  It would be from a third person point of view, and I would be free to put in my own interpretation.  However, after a few chapters, I decided to make it a memoir in my mother’s voice.  Her voice was so beautiful, so lyrical, that I knew I had to let it sing.