"The Love of Lotus" (ISBN-10: 0978613589) by Cynthia Waiying Wu
Wilcox is wonderful memoir with a cultural perspective that
offers readers an insight into ourselves.
"The Love of Lotus" (ISBN-10: 0978613589 , Tyde House
Books) by Chinese-American author Cynthia Waiying Wu Wilcox is
wonderful
memoir with a cultural perspective that offers readers an
insight into ourselves. Cynthia Waiying Wu Wilcox was born in
Hong Kong in 1929 in the conservative Chinese family of a small
business owner. She was educated in primary school in the
classical Chinese tradition, with rote memorization of poems and
treatises thousands of years old. War forced her through front
lines during WWII to receive a high school education in
Christian missionary schools. After the war she completed high
school at one of those schools and then came to the U.S. as a
college student. Trained professionally as a pharmacist, she
remained in the U.S. as an urgently needed professional and
eventually became a U.S. citizen. During her years abroad her
family became wealthy and expected her to marry a prominent
Chinese man in Hong Kong. After years of personal conflict
between traditional Chinese values and adopted Western values,
she disobeyed her family's demands by marrying a younger
Caucasian American and living in the United States. In her
effort to better understand the two cultures in which she lived,
she attended the University of California at Berkeley and earned
a Master's degree in Asian Studies. Now preoccupied with
grandchildren, she and her husband of 40 years live in Northern
California where she enjoys sharing her writing experiences with
others who hope to write memoirs.
In "The Love of Lotus" Wilcox recounts her childhood and adult
life and takes a philosophical look at the conflict between
traditional and received values, and the contrast in culture
between nations. As the author recently states in an online
interview, "I started my book because my son asked how I grew up
in China. He said he had no idea and couldn't even imagine it.
So I decided to write and describe it for him. Since it is my
story for my son, it had to be true and honest, otherwise, it
would miss the point."
True and honest is what makes "The Love of Lotus" a timeless
thought provoking story deep in history, purpose, identity, and
independence. Wilcox details war and its effects on family and
how her new life in the U.S. during the turbulent 1960's helped
shape her world view. This is an outstanding book that gives
outsiders a deeper and personal look into the Chinese culture.
The author states,"I was told by second generation immigrant
Chinese American readers that they now 'understand their parents
better.' That is one of my hopes for the book. If I could get
some people to understand Chinese culture a little better, I
will be happy. If my experience in life teaches some young
person some lessons, I will be gratified. If my description of
depression helps someone to handle the situation skillfully, I
will be ecstatic. I am totally surprised when some readers tell
me that they shared my experiences. It seems that the book has
universal appeal and is something shared by many."
"The Love of Lotus" also shines a light on the author's
interracial (American) marriage and breaking away from her
traditional (Chinese) marriage. "People often asked me to talk
about our “interracial marriage” and its difficulties. I have to
tell them that we do not look at each other as “interracial.” We
look at our racial, age, or up-bringing differences as part of
ourselves and understand them. We do not demand that we be the
same, yet we do not feel different from each other. I don't know
what it is. Perhaps it is called understanding and love! As for
discrimination against us or our child, we just ignore them. We
don't think it is our problem."
"The Love of Lotus" is a must read for anyone who enjoys
learning about and understanding cultural differences, history,
inspiration, faith and purpose. This book "has universal appeal
and is something shared by many."
PageOneLit.com Review
ISBN-10: 0978613589
ISBN-13: 978-0978613587
Tyde House Books
About the Author: Cynthia Waiying Wu
Wilcox was born in Hong Kong in 1929 in the
conservative Chinese family of a small business owner. She was
educated in primary school in the classical Chinese tradition,
with rote memorization of poems and treatises thousands of years
old. War forced her through front lines during WWII to receive a
high school education in Christian missionary schools. After the
war she completed high school at one of those schools and then
came to the U.S. as a college student. Trained professionally as
a pharmacist, she remained in the U.S. as an urgently needed
professional and eventually became a U.S. citizen. During her
years abroad her family became wealthy and expected her to marry
a prominent Chinese man in Hong Kong. After years of personal
conflict between traditional Chinese values and adopted Western
values, she disobeyed her family's demands by marrying a younger
Caucasian American and living in the United States. In her
effort to better understand the two cultures in which she lived,
she attended the University of California at Berkeley and earned
a Master's degree in Asian Studies. Now preoccupied with
grandchildren, she and her husband of 40 years live in Northern
California where she enjoys sharing her writing experiences with
others who hope to write memoirs.
About the Book: What does one do with a Chinese classical
education? asks author Cynthia Waiying Wu Wilcox in this
engaging memoir. Traditionally, it was meant to prepare one for
the imperial examination and to serve the Emperor. But where was
the Emperor? Christianity and the modern world presented further
problems in the author's intellectual development. War and the
introduction of Communism added to the confusion. Differing
cultural settings compounded her struggle. Readers will enjoy
the wrenching emotions and engaging details of this dramatic and
moving work. It is a "must read" for anyone interested in the
Chinese classics, Christianity, Communism, Chinese culture and
the American concept of happiness. This is a memoir that
recounts life in Hong Kong and southern China from the early
20th century through 1947 and then the author's experiences as a
student, immigrant and citizen in the U.S. It is an adventure, a
drama, a history and a love story. It reveals the effect of
differing kinds of literary education, from Chinese classics to
romances and then European and American literature, upon the
author's view of life.
http://www.tydehousebooks.com
