Category Archives: book talk

Canton Elegy: Astonishing memoir of Chinese history and a father’s love

Recently I finished reading an advance copy of Canton Elegy by Stephen Jin Nom Lee. It is one of the most beautiful memoirs I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a LOT of memoirs. I wrote about Canton Elegy in April 2012 when I saw … Continue reading

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Patricia Polacco: Family stories for children

Author Patricia Polacco spoke at the St. Louis County Library the other night. She is the writer and illustrator of about 57 children’s books so far, more in the works. Her books are well loved. The Keeping Quilt celebrates its … Continue reading

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More on making family stories and genealogy come alive: “Yokohama Yankee”

The story begins at a funeral marking the “fading presence in Yokohama of a family that witnessed Japan’s transformation from a feudal nation ruled by samurai into one of the world’s greatest industrial powers.” Yokohama Yankee: My Family’s Five Generations … Continue reading

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