Luxuriantly Literate
a biographical novel
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Luxuriantly Literate is a fictionalized account of the true-life story of Margaret, born in 1920’s China. Vividly depicted are her childhood experiences in the Guangdong province, where life is nearly always dictated by tradition. Though routine abuse doled out to women is acceptable, Margaret is raised by a very progressive mother. Her absentee father is intent on abandoning her due to sexist family values. Both parents provide her with unique role models; consequently, she adapts to unusual circumstances. Instead of living in the same pattern that previous generations followed, her parents make highly unusual choices, living a new radical lifestyle in an age-old culture. Later, as an immigrant to California, Margaret overcomes many difficulties including racist obstacles preventing her from obtaining both employment and United States citizenship. This story recounts the unusual life of a talented, gifted Asian American woman through rapidly changing times.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
A girl in China in the 1920's, Margaret is not worth educating, and certainly not worth the price of a steamship ticket to America. Begging her father not to abandon her, Margaret hopes to immigrate from China to the USA with the rest of her family.
Descended from families that broke away from tradition in extreme ways, Margaret faces a life none of her ancestors could possibly have imagined. Her mother, with unbound feet, constantly defies tradition. Margaret's journey takes her from riding in jinrickshas to being a foreign student at the University of California. She contends with a series of Asian American issues in rapidly changing times and increasingly lives in two worlds. She is confronted with issues that her very Chinese parents face, as well as her own identity as a Chinese national in an American setting rife with anti-Asian sentiment.About the Author
Jean grew up in the San Francisco area, a cauldron of social, ethnic, and cultural diversity. She earned her BA in Psychology from UCB. After earning a BS in Acupuncture she had a successful health care practice as a primary health care provider. She then became interested in technology, earned her MCP, and did technical work during the internet boom. She is now semi-retired and resides in Las Vegas.