Confucius Says - Softcover

Veronica Li

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1622460170 ISBN 13: 9781622460175

Publisher: Homa & Sekey Books, 2015

Synopsis

Confucius Says is a novel about caregiving for elderly parents. Cary, a middle-aged Chinese American, was brought up to believe in the Confucian virtue of filial piety: serving one's parents is a sacred duty that requires extreme sacrifice. Thus when Cary's parents become too feeble to live on their own, she takes them in with the blessing of her Caucasian husband, Steve. But the more Cary tries to please her parents, the crabbier they become. A string of crises drives Cary to the verge of a meltdown. She finally confronts the source of her troubles: Confucius. She reads the Book on Filial Piety to see what exactly Confucius says about the subject. To her surprise, she finds his sayings are quite the opposite of what she's been taught to believe. Liberated from her misconceptions, Cary rediscovers filial piety as a universal formula for a functional, loving modern family.

Veronica Li, an immigrant from Hong Kong, received her B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley and her master's in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University. Li was a journalist for the Asian Wall Street Journal and other organizations. She later joined the World Bank, for which she traveled extensively and got her inspiration for her thriller, Nightfall in Mogadishu. Her second book, Journey across the Four Seas: A Chinese Woman's Search for Home, is a memoir of her mother's life.

About this title

Review:

"A story of a woman caring for her parents with as much filial piety as she can muster... Cary's journey through caretaking is paralleled by a deepening of her understanding of Confucianism, her parents' religion. A deep examination of what it means to see one's parents through the end of life, Li's book is also in many ways the story of a woman coming to grips with her heritage. An affecting look at caring for aging parents and a story of the nuances of Chinese culture."- Kirkus Reviews kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/veronica-li/confucius-says/

"In this era of unprecedented longevity, this story of caregiving for elderly parents is most timely.  While love for parents is a natural instinct, the Chinese codify it with a set of written guidelines.  Through a humorous and entertaining story, the author uncovers the universal truths in Confucius' teachings and applies them to a modern-day family."
--Yong Ho, co-chair, Renwen Society of the China Institute

"Veronica Li's Confucius Says is a wonderfully engaging book about a tough topic. With good humor and warmth, she takes us on an emotional epic journey of one family's experience with caregiving, providing insightful wisdom about how cultural values color our relationships. A must-read for anyone with elderly parents, but especially for all Asian Americans."
--Gil Asakawa, Asian American Journalists Association AARP Fellow

"I laughed my way in and cried my way out of this book. By turns hilarious and searing, mystery novel and textbook on aging, at its core this is a love story.  As one of many who have taken on the task of caring for parents till the end, I'm deeply moved by this book."
--Vilma Seeberg, Director, China Studies and Education Project, Kent State University

"Confucius Says is a poignant portrayal of a Chinese family's adherence to filial piety and the impact of this tradition on everyone in the family (including the dog).  The author captures eloquently the emotional roller coaster of parental caregiving--a ride that whizzes through the terrors of aging and dying interspersed with the exhilaration of love, life and liberation.  Humor is sprinkled throughout the book, facilitating the reader's acceptance of the full range of emotions associated with this undertaking."
--Ginny Gong, host of TV talk show Ginny's...Where East Meets West

About this edition

• Publisher: Homa & Sekey Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1622460170
• ISBN 13: 9781622460175
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 258