Category: book review

“I would not know where to begin healing
were it not for my ancestors
in whose great shadows
that reached across
oceans and islands
I took solace, when the scars stung under the sun.
We have inherited our parents’ scars, still hurting but – ” Karen-Luz Sison, “To Heal, To Be Healing“

About Belief: Ricepaper Magazine Books

A new anthology from Canada’s renowned Ricepaper Magazine, this third collection in the Ricepaper Magazine series includes a wide range of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction by writers of Asian descent from across the world. The theme which binds the collection is “belief,” a notion personal to each individual sharing a piece of themselves in their works.

“This book is a platform for both established and new writers to share their voices in a publishing landscape that is often difficult for racialized writers to navigate,” co-editor Allan Cho comments. Co-editor JF Garrard adds, “In light of anti-Asian hate which has been occurring throughout the years and is only newsworthy now; we hope that this book allows people to better understand and feel empathy with the Asian community and to make a connection, since we all want to transform our society to be a better place.”

Within the Belief anthology, the honorable Joy Kogawa shares her lifelong lessons scribbled in her diary, Carmen Chan shares the trauma experienced by the women in her family in the new world, Felix Wong shares a strange serendipitous experience of witnessing a wedding of strangers, and Garry Engkent describes how introducing the egg roll at his family’s restaurant causes a heated controversy in Thibeault Falls. The late Jim Wong-Chu reflects on what the first railway workers would have thought about the ritual of Christmas.

Each author contributing to this new collection shares a conviction of truth shaping the reality of life in the Asian diaspora. 

Contributors to Belief include: 

Nastasha Alli – Moni Brar – Carmen Chan – Taeyin Cho-Glueck – Steven Chua – Ingrid Cui – Erica Dionara – Garry Engkent – Ken Lem, translated by Lei Jin – Daisy Kioko Moriyama – Joy Kogawa – Janika Oza – Kathy Pham – Cindy Phan – Emi Sasagawa – Karen-Luz Sison – Bianca Weeko Martin  – Kevin Wong – Felix Wong – Jim Wong-Chu – Christine Wu – Kailin Yang – Peter KS Yu – Michelle Zhang

My Thoughts

Wow, that was my first thought reading through these powerful writings. I found myself reading it from start to finish, started over again and then read through it a third time. I cannot even pick one favourite, as they all touched my heart in different ways.

In the editor’s introduction, we are told that “a story is a piece of a writer’s heart, written to inspire, change and challenge the thoughts of their friends, peers, children and the world”. That really stuck with me as I read through each story, poem and nonfiction. We are given a very real, raw, honest look into each author’s life, moment in time, feelings and family history. Some of these moments made me pause and reflect and other times, you could feel their pain (and the hurt that they hid) from their words.

From those who feel isolated and lost after immigrating to North America, feeling a need for their home and those who came as skilled workers but cannot actually use those skills. From family divides to the power of your name. Each page carries an important story and lesson not only for those of Asian descent but individuals of all backgrounds. These collections will hit home to those of Asian descent and I am sure will remind them of their family members or even moments in their own life, making each story very relatable and possibly bring understanding. My husband found a connection to the story around immigrants who have come to North America but cannot use the skills and degrees that they achieved overseas. He immigrated from Zimbabwe and faced many barriers with his education being recognized and really struggled in the first five years of being in Canada.

It is so important to listen, to learn and to be mindful of our own words and the impact that they can have on others. So many times individuals from another culture cannot understand nor appreciate the sacrifices and the history of a family and this is why it is important to speak those words and to write them down. I found the afterword just as important as it contained information about health as it pertains to Asians titled, ‘Save a Life, Stop Being Asian” and given the context of the pandemic that we are in this is so important. Especially as we see the same themes of stoicism, politeness and the family hierarchy. JF Garrard gives a very personal and real approach to handling health crisis’ in the family, especially with parents.

This is a very special anthology that has had a great impact on me. It was honest, it was raw and it was full of feeling and wisdom – a definite must read.

You can purchase a copy of Belief on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About Ricepaper Magazine

Ricepaper Magazine is a Vancouver-based Canadian literary magazine which has showcased Asian Canadian literature, culture, and the arts since 1994.

Ricepaper Magazine publishes new poetry, fiction, drama, graphic novels, translation, as well as cultural reviews of books, theatre, and film. Ricepaper Magazine also publishes original art and photography.

Ricepaper first began in 1994 as a newsletter for the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop (ACWW) – eight pages which were photocopied back-to-back and stapled together. Ricepaper was a way for ACWW members to communicate amongst each other as well as celebrate each other’s successes. ACWW, a non-profit organization, continues to publish Ricepaper today.  From these humble beginnings, Ricepaper became a quarterly magazine that was distributed coast-to-coast, publishing the new voices coming out of the Asian Canadian arts and literary community. With advancements in technology, Ricepaper has moved online affording writers a much wider audience and far richer medium to deliver ideas. Ricepaper Magazine continues to be the longest running literary magazine of its kind with an Asian Canadian perspective.

Disclosure: I received a copy of Belief in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ever wonder what your favorite lovey would do if you let them be in charge of playtime? 

About That’s Coola, Tallulah!

Ever wonder what your favorite lovey would do if you let them be in charge of playtime?

Imagine being the fairiest of fairy princesses, the unicorniest unicorns or tea party hostesses with the mostesses. Seeing is believing in this carefree journey of freedom and fun featuring Stella Bella and her lively doll, Tallulah. They are inseparable playmates that get into all sorts of mischief. In the middle of the pair’s high jinks, Stella Bella’s conscience always leads her the right way until its tea time and the cookie jar gets broken. When Mommy discovers the mess, the two are separated. Will Stella Bella and Tallulah ever be able to play together again?

Our Thoughts

That’s Coola, Tallulah! is the fun story of a young, imaginative girl and her favourite best friend – her doll. Stella Bella and Tallulah go on some of the grandest adventures together and are as close as any two best friends can be (I am sure so many of us can relate to the bond that we have had or our child has had with a special character or stuffed animal). In this book, they are stuck inside for the day and must come up with their own fun adventures. And while their adventures are very fun, they are a bit mischievous and make the Mom in me say, “oh no – what a mess!”.

I loved how even though the pair were having fun, when Stella Bella realizes that they may have gone a bit too far in their fun, they work hard to fix their messes. Stella Bella will pause and let Tallulah know that they need to scrub, clean and fix whatever it is that they may have made a mess with. That is until they get caught breaking the cookie jar and they are separated for a bit.

We loved this adorable book. It was fun to read together, we had to laugh at everything these two got into. Some of the adventures these two get up to, I am sure your own child may have done at home. The book itself was easy to read and would be great for young children. Stella Bella has a beautiful imagination and I loved how this book brought her sense of wonder, fun and imagination to life. The illustrations were perfect and fit the character and magical fun of this book. This is a fun, creative and beautiful book that your child will love to read with you.

You can learn more about the book here.

About the Author

Cheryl was born in a small, modest town Manville, New Jersey. Her loving parents were Emil and Stella Hudock. Emil was a handsome, lively trombone player in a popular swing orchestra while Stella was a beautiful, young, junior model that appeared in the very first issue of SEVENTEEN Magazine. They were very supportive of their only child’s hopes and dreams.

As a young child, Cheryl loved playing with dolls and making people laugh. She loved mimicking different voices and putting on shows with her costumes from her dance classes.

Cheryl pursued acting in college at Brigham Young University and later in NYC at the Lee Strasburg Institute. Moving to Los Angeles, she decided to focus on a voice over career. She always had a unique young sounding voice. Cheryl has a wide vocal range allowing her to create little girls to little old ladies.

Being perseverant with many random voice jobs with the various animation studios in Hollywood, Cheryl managed to work her way up to become an award winning voice actress on the globally popular animated show Rugrats. In 2006 she received a WIN Award for Best Comedic Actress In An Animated Show. The Women’s Image Network promotes dimensional female media images and applaud film and television that advances the value of women and girls.

Cheryl cherishes the fact of being a part of such a celebrated global cartoon franchise. She regards being Angelica as a privilege and golden opportunity to give joy to the children and families of the world. The cartoon show allowed Cheryl many exciting experiences such as Rugrats getting a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, her character, Angelica being a guest on The Rosie O’Donnell Show, attending Rugrat movie premieres and even a Rugrat Live Stage Show.

She has collected tons of Rugrat merchandise that she would donate to young cancer patients in the hospital with a charity she was involved with called Famous Fone Friends.

Enjoying the notoriety of being on such a celebrated Nickelodeon animated show, Cheryl had other aspirations. She always wanted to write a children’s picture book. During high school, she excelled at creative writing and in college Cheryl started writing in journals. Lots of them!

Cheryl’s favorite children’s picture book is Polar The Titanic Bear by Daisy Corning Stone Spedden. This captivating story is told through the eyes of a young boy’s toy bear. It describes an American family’s travels in the Edwardian Era, culminating with their voyage on the famous Titanic.

Having the story told through the toy bear’s perspective inspired Cheryl to write her debut children’s picture book with this same approach. Cheryl’s book is entitled That’s Coola Tallulah. It’s a love story about the true friendship between Stella Bella and her favorite doll, Tallulah and the magical relationship that bonds them together at the heart. The story is told through the eyes of Tallulah.

Stella Bella and her lively doll, Tallulah are inseparable playmates that get into all sorts of mischief. The instigator is, of course, Tallulah. Stella Bella is always up for adventure and goes along with her fun loving doll’s desires. In the middle of the pair’s shenanigans, though, Stella Bella’s conscience always leads her the right way until its tea time and the cookie jar gets broken. When Mommy discovers the mess, uh oh, the two are separated. Will they ever be able to play together again?

Award winning voice actress Cheryl Chase gives life to the animated character, Angelica on Rugrats. Her debut children’s picture book, That’s Coola, Tallulah! is adorable as it is mischievous. This whimsical, wee tale of true friendship comes to dazzling life in Giulia Iacopini’s enchanting illustrations.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In A Dance in Donegal, Moira decides to fulfill her mother’s wish that she become the teacher in Ballymann, her home village in Donegal, Ireland.

About A Dance in Donegal

All of her life, Irish-American Moira Doherty has relished her mother’s descriptions of Ireland. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920, Moira decides to fulfill her mother’s wish that she become the teacher in Ballymann, her home village in Donegal, Ireland.

After an arduous voyage, Moira arrives to a new home and a new job in an ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira’s mother are unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she’s journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends–and the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced–as she seeks to navigate a life she’d never dreamed of but perhaps was meant to live.

My Thoughts

Moira is a bright young American woman who has grown up with the stories and dreams her Mother told her of Donegal, Ireland. When she loses her Mother, she decides to fulfill her Mother’s wish to become a teacher in her home village. She is excited to embark on this journey of discovery, learning about where her Mother came from, and experiencing first hand all of the stories she has been told (like so many of us whose parents have immigrated, we can’t wait to see the place our parents called home). I don’t think anything could have prepared her for what would be ahead of her.

Ireland is everything she could have imagined and more, as a reader the country comes alive in the story. We feel as though we are there with Moira experiencing each new moment, and seeing the country for the first time (how it made me wish we could travel right now). The village is very typical of many small villages, everyone knows everyone, gossiping happens and grudges can last through several generations. Moira gets the sense that people are hiding something from her about her Mother but she just can’t quite put her finger on it. Someone is determined to make her life quite miserable by leaving subtle hints that she is not welcome (I loved learning about their superstitions). Combine this with the culture shock, can Moira handle all of these changes both mentally and emotionally?

Moira’s faith and personal values are put to the test and while she struggled with decisions it is her compassion and faith that comes through strong in her actions and this is despite how she has been treated. She teaches us about compassion, forgiveness and understanding. Sometimes it is incredibly hard to forgive and to treat others with kindness, especially when they have hurt us, but to act out in retaliation (or to not act) only hurts us.

A Dance in Donegal is a beautiful story of finding love, compassion, forgiveness and hope for the future in the beautiful backdrop of Ireland. We are taken on a journey that is well written, and full of impact (I know I stopped and reflected on my own past and how I can change my own mindset). Historical fans will love this well written story.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. 

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.