The Bright Survivor

About the Book

The Bright Survivor is a memoir offered in a unique second-person, mother-to-son approach. The mother provides a detailed story about how her son grew up in a small family of the first-generation immigrants in Canada. Her son was born in Toronto when she and her husband were in their forties, finishing school and starting a new career. When they immigrated to Canada after his birth, the immigration officer asked them to “make sure that he gets all that a Canadian deserves.” It took twenty years. The family of three explored and overcame several learning curves. For many years, being with his parents was rare for the boy because his parents always worked full-time. He grew up with Chinese nannies, home cares, after-school programs, and extra-curricular lessons. For summer and winter breaks, he was busy with camps and sometimes family trips. In his primary school years, the boy was fine but had little patience in group settings and split-grade classes. His parents pursued a better fit for his education. He eventually felt in the right place with the International Baccalaureate program at high school and went to a co-op program for his college education to become an engineer. His mother wondered sometimes if the home she had provided could have been more relaxing and better appreciated. Her generation never had the time or resources. Her version of his childhood is marked by persistent effort in a diverse world, always with an open mind and often with love and happiness.

About the Author

Sharon Shih came to North America to complete her education. She is a scientist and an engineer by training. This is her first book about her generation of immigrants.