Page 4
April 18, 2001
ÿlorHattù ©bamier
Focus In Print
When E ast and West Ways C ollide
the often painful, sometimes
funny, and always complex pre­
dicament: Do we surrender to
selfish impulses, or do we fol­
low what is deep in our hearts?
Whatever the choice, Christina
By Christina Chiu
G.P. Putnam’s Sons; 2001
Meet the Wongs, Shengs, and
Tsuis, and learn of their secrets
and desires. Bound by friend­
ship, love, and family, these
wild and eclectic clans - whose
members include a matriarch
who talks to dead relatives, her
nymphomaniac granddaughter,
an old man living in the past of
yellowing newspapers, and a
young street punk - clash and
connect, illuminating one an­
other in extraordinary ways.
Who are the troublemakers?
Who are the saints? All of these
characters are at a crossroads,
confronting their own particu­
lar life struggles. In “Doctor,” a
family’s golden child marries a
black man and is shunned by
her family. In “Mama,” tradi­
tional parents come to the res­
cue of their bisexual daughter.
And in the closing story, a thief
stumbles across his past while
committing what he intends to
be his final robbery. Everyone
in these stories is offered a
chance to change - and it is
surprising to see who will rise
to that challenge.
“Troublem aker and Other
Saints” has the spark of flawed
yet lovable people dealing with
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Facing Life’s Turning Points
By Francis Ray
St. M artin’s Press; 2001
“The Turning Point” is a story o f hope and
triumph, o f self-discovery and second-chances. Lilly
Craw ford’s abusive husband stole her dreams o f a
loving marriage and children. On a desperate plight
towards independence, she m eets a neurosurgeon
who is uncertain if he will ever recover from blind­
ness due to a beating he received by two muggers.
Fearing that his blindness is perm anent, Adam
W akefield faces the fear that he may never be in
control o f his life again and sinks into a deeper
depression as each day passes. Fate throws the two
together and in their uneasy alliance they face pain
and joy as they fight to turn their lives around. Can
the bond that develops between the two be strong
enough to overcom e their plan to aid them in picking
up the pieces o f their shattered lives?
Once again Francis Ray has created an enticing
world o f struggle, passion, and the strength it takes
to overcom e the hardships o f reality. “The Turning
Point” is a romantic fictional tale mixed with the
outward and inner conflicts encountered in daily
life. This is what m akes Francis R ay's audience
concrete and com ing back for more.
Chiu’s stunning and spirited fic­
tion debut illustrates that just as
there is a bit of troublemaker in
each o f us, there is also some­
thing beautiful and, ultimately,
redeeming.
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