Great topic for some bookworms here. Ok, kinda long-winded:


1. There is an old Chinese legend of Fu-Ma Lan, the woman warrior where a young woman decided to protect her family’s honour by conscripting and disguising herself as a warrior to fight for battle. Only men were allowed to fight in war. Her father is too old to fight and there are no sons to fight on behalf for the family. As you know, traditional Chinese thinking is preference for sons.

She does return from battle to her family where they welcome her with love. This legend was turned into a Disney cartoon movie.

The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston, transforms the legend. Writer is American of Chinese descent living in Hawaii. She was born in California. She weaves abit of autobiography, bits of fantasy and transforms some Chinese legends and fairytales into the American experience. It is the first novel (prior to Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club” on fictional stories of several relationships between Chinese-American women and their mothers. Also made into a movie.)

http://www.amazon.ca/Woman-Warrior-Memoi...4138&sr=1-2

The book was recommended to me when I was in deep depression and in therapy in my early 20’s.. It inspired me…for its bold artistry and images of resistance against stereotypes, understanding of myself in relation to family, broader societal attitudes and need to be involved in positive/creative change/self-expression, etc, Kingston got a lot of flack and was misunderstood for her storytelling technique, but she did pioneer for other Asian-American female fictional writers. The pen can be after all, the sword.


2. http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Makers-Breakers-Thurgood-Marshall/dp/0316759791 On life of first Afro-American U.S. Supreme Court judge, Thurgood Marshall. He took Martin Luther King’s dream of equality, one step further….he had to help draft the law, fight the court cases. I recommend reading his life…what it truly means to put equality to the test….in law and in the courts. Otherwise some things never change. He helped desegregate the schools in the U.S.

He was quite different than Clarence Thomas, another black judge appointed later to U.S. Supreme Court. As you know Thomas was accused of sexual harassment by the black lawyer, Anita Hill. Honourable Justice Marshall was the opposite, an inspiring gentleman.


Yes bks. #1 & 2, did serve as touchstones for me…that my family and their accomplishments / rights are worth defending. Yes, my volunteer work in race relations, immigrant services for 2 organiztions for several years ..serve as perhaps tangible tools of assisting in positive change.
There are other great books for entirely different reasons. But I would say these 2 bks. inspired me ..to keep on going and to go…boldly. I have both books twice and still have them....just in case I should need some inspiration again.

(Note: Canada has not yet appointed a non-white judge to its highest Supreme Court. However the Chief Justice for the highest court level in Canada is a woman. She is a first woman to hold this position, Madame Justice Beverly McLaughlin. She was appointed only a few years ago.)