Beautifully done, Kate. I love the dimension and warmth you brought to this piece working from a prompt probably didn't give you any big dramatic scene. No one died (directly), lost a child or divorced. It was a subtle transformation and you handled it with such thought and care.
I loved the relationships in this story. You conveyed the security and trust between mother and daughter beautifully, and also the confidence of the two parents in each other. I utterly enjoy the company of this family. 💕
You always write with all the senses, Kate. Right off the bat, we get sight, sounds, smell, and taste and touch follow suit. Writing will set you free.
We would never have said it so directly and we were highly competitive, but my best friend in elementary school was a Chinese girl. This recalled a lot of that. The speaking for her mother and becoming one is a special idea. Whole movies are made out of relationships like that and the surprise that she spoke English. A pleasure reading this and sensing the care that went into it.
This was such artistry, weaving so many elements into a warm experiential quilt. More than I can name. It’s alone but not lonely. Sad but hopeful. Personal but universal. Domestic but worldly. Distant but near. Heartache but love. Questioning but answering. Childlike but mature. Need I say more. You speak volumes in layers. Your wonderful experience is now mine. Thanks for sharing a great deal of yourself. It felt like a conversation in a favorite coffee shop with a new friend. A conversation that lasted over days. The aroma of freshly ground coffee. Inhaled.
This was both beautiful and heartbreaking. When Ethan asked her those questions and then walked away it broke my heart. We all know loneliness, but few of us can truly understand how isolated one can feel when loneliness is coupled with otherness. Finding her voice in letters to her mother was so beautiful, and how it unlocked deeper relationships with her mother and her father was very moving. I also wrote about someone who had immigrated to the States. It was a terrific challenge, and I think you wrote a beautiful story.
Beautiful story, rendered with vivid detail and emotional honesty. The narrator is quite self-aware for a child, but it fits because she’s clearly bright and spends a lot of time with her own thoughts.
Very enjoyable, and very convincing. "In Hong Kong, one often first asks if you have eaten when you meet up."
It reminded me of a conversation I had with a lady whose parents were immigrants from Hong Kong. I'd just finished reading Sour Sweet by Timothy Mo. I asked the lady if her parents set up a Chinese takeaway when they came over, to which she replied, "Of course!", which really made me laugh!
What a shock to realize your mother speaks English after all that time pretending! Beautifully done, Kate, I was ready to sit down in that kitchen and eat some dumplings, then go out to the fort and draw pictures with crayons. 🖍️🖍️🖍️
Wonderful, Kate. Really warm and heartwarming, and so real. This one makes me quite curious as to the prompt, but at the same time I'm happy to be left with the magic of not knowing.
I loved this, Kathleen. I really liked how Agnes's love for writing grew out of her mother's absence. I take this as a gentle suggestion that writing is sometimes (always?) an act of filling a gap or conquering a silence. The whole tone was loving, empathetic, and warm.
Beautifully done, Kate. I love the dimension and warmth you brought to this piece working from a prompt probably didn't give you any big dramatic scene. No one died (directly), lost a child or divorced. It was a subtle transformation and you handled it with such thought and care.
I loved the relationships in this story. You conveyed the security and trust between mother and daughter beautifully, and also the confidence of the two parents in each other. I utterly enjoy the company of this family. 💕
What a beautiful and absorbing read. Congratulations on a lovely piece, you really rose to the challenge! 💪💛
Reminded me I have my father's LP record of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's speeches: In the struggle for freedom and human dignity.
Just fabulous, Kate! Such warmth and tenderness infused into every sentence. 💙
Just beautiful! I teared up more than once and love this family you created with warmth and tenderness.
You always write with all the senses, Kate. Right off the bat, we get sight, sounds, smell, and taste and touch follow suit. Writing will set you free.
We would never have said it so directly and we were highly competitive, but my best friend in elementary school was a Chinese girl. This recalled a lot of that. The speaking for her mother and becoming one is a special idea. Whole movies are made out of relationships like that and the surprise that she spoke English. A pleasure reading this and sensing the care that went into it.
This was such artistry, weaving so many elements into a warm experiential quilt. More than I can name. It’s alone but not lonely. Sad but hopeful. Personal but universal. Domestic but worldly. Distant but near. Heartache but love. Questioning but answering. Childlike but mature. Need I say more. You speak volumes in layers. Your wonderful experience is now mine. Thanks for sharing a great deal of yourself. It felt like a conversation in a favorite coffee shop with a new friend. A conversation that lasted over days. The aroma of freshly ground coffee. Inhaled.
This was both beautiful and heartbreaking. When Ethan asked her those questions and then walked away it broke my heart. We all know loneliness, but few of us can truly understand how isolated one can feel when loneliness is coupled with otherness. Finding her voice in letters to her mother was so beautiful, and how it unlocked deeper relationships with her mother and her father was very moving. I also wrote about someone who had immigrated to the States. It was a terrific challenge, and I think you wrote a beautiful story.
Beautiful story, rendered with vivid detail and emotional honesty. The narrator is quite self-aware for a child, but it fits because she’s clearly bright and spends a lot of time with her own thoughts.
Very enjoyable, and very convincing. "In Hong Kong, one often first asks if you have eaten when you meet up."
It reminded me of a conversation I had with a lady whose parents were immigrants from Hong Kong. I'd just finished reading Sour Sweet by Timothy Mo. I asked the lady if her parents set up a Chinese takeaway when they came over, to which she replied, "Of course!", which really made me laugh!
Lovely, wholesome, and genuine story, Kathleen! May 2024 be a wonderful year for you and your loved ones!
happy new year!
What a shock to realize your mother speaks English after all that time pretending! Beautifully done, Kate, I was ready to sit down in that kitchen and eat some dumplings, then go out to the fort and draw pictures with crayons. 🖍️🖍️🖍️
Wonderful, Kate. Really warm and heartwarming, and so real. This one makes me quite curious as to the prompt, but at the same time I'm happy to be left with the magic of not knowing.
I loved this, Kathleen. I really liked how Agnes's love for writing grew out of her mother's absence. I take this as a gentle suggestion that writing is sometimes (always?) an act of filling a gap or conquering a silence. The whole tone was loving, empathetic, and warm.