Where Every Ghost Has a Name: A Memoir of Taiwanese Independence
Where Every Ghost Has a Name offers readers a gripping tale of Taiwan's road to democracy through the lens of one family's sacrifices. This memoir recounts the story of Thomas Liao, a Taiwanese Independence leader after WWII that advanced the cause of democracy, whose fight for freedom tore his family apart and changed the history of Taiwan.
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Kim Liao's writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Electric Literature, Lit Hub, The Rumpus, McSweeney's, The Millions, Salon, Fourth River, Hippocampus, and others. A former Taiwan Fulbright Creative Research Scholar, her work has received support from the Vermont Studio Center, the Jentel Foundation, the Hambidge Center, the Anderson Center, and the Ragdale Foundation. She lives with her family near New York City and teaches writing to students of all ages.
In this astonishing story, Kim Liao skillfully unravels a family mystery through a blend of meticulous historical inquiry and vividly imagined reconstructions of the past. This work is not just an important contribution to Taiwanese history, but also a profound account of the wide-reaching personal sacrifices that resistance against authoritarianism entails.
From its astonishing opening lines, Where Every Ghost Has a Name grabbed me by the collar and never let me go. Both a poignant memoir and a riveting mystery, this is a deeply moving, meticulously researched debut
In Where Every Ghost Has a Name: A Memoir of Taiwanese Independence, author Kim Liao takes us on her journey across the Pacific Ocean, from Long Island to Taiwan, in search of her exiled grandfather's past. It recounts that history is never simple. Political dissidents are not the only ones caught up in turbulent times, but also the men, women, and children around them forced to be left behind. And silence is often the loudest voice that tells family stories. It narrates hardship and sacrifice but also the triumphs and strength of human agency to maintain a sense of purpose and identity even in the most impossible situation.
An American granddaughter's quest to unravel her family's murky history has resulted in an outstanding biography of Thomas Liao and the fight for Taiwanese independence.
Kim effortlessly leads her reader on a tour of Taiwan in the early 2000s and a historical perspective of the 1940s to 1950s during the post-Japanese invasion period.... Her ability to share her experience honestly makes this memoir relatable for many mixed-race individuals.... As Kim Liao moves back and forth between her ancestors and present-day research, she does a beautiful job of sharing Taiwanese culture and helping her readers understand the whys of the culture. Through each step she navigates to find more understanding, she opens her readers to not just new culture but nuances of language and historical references juxtaposed with the information of why things were the way they were... This memoir is a great reminder of how our past always shapes the present and how remembering can serve as a form of healing for many.
