Women authors deliver tales of family, flight, immigration, war and feminism
Women’s History Month finds new releases from Bay Area female authors
Women’s History Month may be winding down now, but the events and themes covered in these new releases by Bay Area authors are always timely. They provide tales of family, flight, immigration war and gender struggles.
“My Old Faithful: Stories” by Yang Huang (Massachusetts Press, $19.95, 184 pages) Yang Huang’s new collection of 10 linked stories is set in China and the United States over three decades, focusing on the “grass people” of China — ordinary folks with little or no political power, like the author’s fictional Chen family. Each one of the Chens — mother, father, son and daughters — takes a turn in the spotlight, and the results yield a rich contemporary narrative of family dynamics and social upheaval. Huang, who grew up in China’s Jiangsu province, lives in Hercules and works at UC Berkeley; she’ll read from the book, which was recently awarded the Jupiter Prize, on April 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bindery, 1727 Haight St., San Francisco. More information at www.booksmith.com.
“Sophia of Silicon Valley” by Anna Yen (William Morrow, $26.99, 368 pages) When Sophia Young graduates from college, she knows exactly what she wants to do — work in banking just long enough to meet “The One” and settle down in a little house with a white picket fence. It doesn’t go exactly as planned. Sophia, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, finds herself in a tech job, where she becomes the right-hand girl to Scott Kraft, the demanding founder of a software company and CEO of an animated film studio. Yen, who lives in San Francisco, considers whether toiling for the big boys is worth all the drama in this work of fiction.
“Rosie Colored Glasses” by Brianna Wolfson (Mirabooks, $26.99, 336 pages) Another San Francisco author, Brianna Wolfson, makes Willow the central character of this heartfelt family novel. Eleven years old when the story begins, Willow has been left by her divorced parents, Rex and Rosie, to figure out how to carry on while caring for her younger brother, Asher. Alternating chapters flash back to the marriage, fleshing out straight-laced Rex and free-wheeling Rosie, a loving yet troubled mom whose struggles with addiction and illness color the narrative in shades of sorrow.
“America Is Not the Heart” by Elaine Castillo (Viking, $27, 416 pages) South Bay author Elaine Castillo makes an impressive debut with this novel of race, gender and immigration. It’s the story of Geronima de Vera, also known as Hero, a New People’s Army rebel who is captured by the Filipino military. She endures prison until, aided by her family, she is able to come to America. She settles in Milpitas (where Castillo lives now) and falls in love with a younger woman. Castillo captures both worlds in elegant prose.
“Bury What We Cannot Take” by Kirstin Chen (Little A, $24.95, 286 pages) Kirstin Chen, the San Francisco author of “Soy Sauce for Beginners,” returns with a new novel set against the backdrop of Maoist China. The year is 1957, and circumstances cause 9-yearold San San’s family to flee their home on Drum Wave Islet, across the channel from the mainland. Yet, when her mother attempts to obtain visas for their passage to Hong Kong, the government issues a devastating order, telling her to leave one of her children behind as proof of the family’s intention to return.
“Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam” by Elizabeth Partridge (Viking, $22.99, 212 pages) Berkeley-based Elizabeth Partridge, a National Book Award finalist and author of previous books on Dorothea Lange, Woody Guthrie and John Lennon, delves into the Vietnam War in this engaging illustrated history. With analysis of the politics and protests of the era and interviews with American soldiers and Vietnamese refugees, “Boots on the Ground” is designed for young readers. But Partridge makes it a mustread for anyone interested in learning more about the war.
“Don’t Call Me Princess: Essays on Girls, Women, Sex, and Life” by Peggy Orenstein (Harper, $16.99, 400 pages) Drawing on essays previously published in the New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Parenting and other publications, this new collection by Berkeleybased feminist writer Peggy Orenstein considers what it means to be a woman today — how far we have come and how far we still have to go. Sharp, insightful and often very funny, the essays cover health and sexuality, motherhood and career, politics and social media and more.