Fate has a way of revealing the secrets we would prefer to remain hidden.
The Fourth Princess, by Janie Chang, was published earlier this year. In 1911, the universe brings two very different women together in Shanghai. Lisan Liu is an orphan who has just been hired as a secretary for American socialite Caroline Stanton. She has moved from the States for her husband’s job.
The manor, which she calls home, is supposedly haunted. The previous owner took his life, and there are rumors that the spirit of a woman in red has been seen around the property. When the previously undisclosed information is unearthed, both Lisan and Caroline must confront the hard truths that will upend everything they have known and built.
This book is amazing. Though Lisan and Caroline appear to have nothing in common, their pasts are quite similar. I loved that the ending came completely out of left field, leaving me shocked and wanting more.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
The Fourth Princess is available wherever books are sold.
It amazes me what some will do to climb the corporate ladder.
The new play, Chinese Republicans, by Alex Lin, follows four Chinese-American women who are all employed by the same investment firm in New York City. Phyllis (Jodi Long) integrated the company’s C-Suite. Her mentee, Ellen (Jennifer Ikeda), has put her personal life on hold for the sake of her career. Iris (Jully Lee) needs to keep her job to stay in the country. Katie (Anna Zavelson) is a twenty-something who has yet to be let down by the system.
This play is brilliant. Each woman is like a puzzle piece. They have their own story and struggle, yet fit together perfectly. Lin’s ending is perfect because it is a harsh reminder that we live in a world where Caucasian men still hold most of the cards.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
Chinese Republicansis playinguntil April 5th, 2026. Check the websitefor ticketsand showtimes.
Shakespeare is one of the writers whose work remains relevant because his characters, at heart, deal with the human condition, warts and all.
Laowang: A Chinatown King Lear, by Alex Lin, is an adaptation of King Lear. A-Poh/Margaret Choy (Wai Ching Ho) is the owner of a Chinese restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown whose heyday is long gone. Wesley Chiu (Daisuke Tsuji) is a developer who wants to buy the building. Before making a decision, A-Poh brings in her three grandchildren for a family meeting. Amy (Cindy Cheung), Steven (Jon Norman Schneider), and Lai-Fa (Amy Keum) all want a piece of the final sale. On top of this major decision, A-Poh starts to exhibit signs of dementia, making them even more cutthroat.
At a crisp 90 minutes, this play is to the point, stripped down, universal, and brilliant. A-Poh is a woman who has worked hard to keep her business going and support her family. Knowing that is all in the past makes the downfall that much harder for all involved.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
Laowang: A Chinatown King Lear is playing at 59 E 59 Theaters in New York City until tomorrow. Check the website for tickets and showtimes.
In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.
At this moment, I can’t say with certainty that I agree with her.
Charlie Kirk was assassinated earlier today. He was only 31 and left behind his wife and two young children. Politically, we were on opposite ends of the spectrum. I vehemently disagreed with him on many issues (except Israel, which I am immensely grateful for).
For anyone who doesn’t know Charlie Kirk – watch this short clip from a confrontation between him and an anti-Israel student and you’ll understand everything you need to know!
That being said, we can disagree with one another without violence. There was no need to end his life. My fear is that this senseless act will open the door to POTUS potentially taking advantage of the situation for his own ends. I hope my fears are just that.
Shame on those who have celebrated. Unlike some of his peers on the right, Kirk made it his business to meet and openly debate others who had different political beliefs. A mutual conclusion might have been the final result, but the fact that he was willing to take that first step is huge. For that alone, he has my eternal respect.
Once more, yesterday brings up the lack of gun control laws in this country. At this point, authorities have not confirmed who the suspect is and how they were able to get their hands on a firearm.
On a personal note, this killing sends a chill down my spine. If a well-known person like Kirk can be killed for sharing their opinion (however one might disagree), what does that say about the average person on the street? If someone expresses their opinion on social media, does that give another license to verbally or physically attack them?
May his memory be a blessing to all who loved and cherished him.
Speaking of, nearly 4000 people in Hollywood have signed a pledge that states that the undersigned will boycott the Israeli film industry due to the conflict in Gaza.
I have to wonder if the same pledge would exist for projects and creatives/performers originating from Russia, China, or Iran? Probably not.
One of these days, this madness will end, and some sort of normality will return. We just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward.
Happy Wednesday.
P.S. It has been over 700 days since October 7th, and 48 hostages have not been returned to their families.
World War II, for better and for worse, forever changed our world.
American Flygirl, by Susan Tate Ankeny was published last year. It is a biography of Hazel Ying Lee, a Chinese-American pilot who joined the WASPs during World War II. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she was a unicorn in her time: a woman of AAPI descent who aspired to be more than what was expected of her. Despite these barriers, Lee pushed ahead, making waves that continue to be felt today.
Lee is a hero by every definition of the word. While I am happy that she has finally received the recognition she deserves, it is telling that it has taken 80 years for this to happen. The book is amazing. I found myself riveted and inspired by its subject. Do I recommend it?
Absolutely.
American Flygirl is available wherever books are sold.
This title is absolutely fascinating. I learned a great deal and found myself drawn into the stories of the individuals being told. I also found parallels to every new culture that stepped onto these shores. The specific details are unique, but the overall narrative is unchanged.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America is available wherever books are sold.
Some encounters change the course of our existence.
The Master Jeweler, by Weina Dai Randel, will be published in June. In 1925, Anyu Zhang is fifteen and living with her mother in Harbin, China. She finds an irreplaceable Fabergé egg. She could sell it to provide for herself and her mother. It would do more than alleviate their current state of poverty. Instead, Anyu returns the egg to its rightful owner, Isaac Mandelburg. Though he is a generous man, he he also has a dark past. Grateful for her selfless act, he gives her his address and an open invitation.
Becoming an orphan soon after their conversation, Anyu knocks on his door. Not wanting to become a burden, she is determined to learn the art of creating jewelry. Though she is safe within the walls of the Mandelburg house and store, the outside world is cutthroat, dangerous, and leaden with the bodies of those who were killed for a diamond or a piece of gold.
This title is fantastic. The author brings this era to life in such detail that it was like I was there with Anyu. This coming-of-age tale is full of intrigue, drama, heartbreak, and and survival.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
The Master Jeweler will be published on June 24th, 2025.
I received a free copy from the Jewish Book Council in return for an honest review.
When we talk about breaking the glass ceiling, we talk about big and small cracks. We can see some of them appear at the moment. Others can only be viewed in hindsight.
Connie Chung is a living legend in American media. As both a female and a person of color, she broke down the door for future television journalists. She tells her story in her new autobiography, Connie: A Memoir. It was published last September.
The youngest of five daughters, Chung was the only child to be born in the United States. Her parents and four older sisters were all born in China. As a young woman, she overcame her shyness to become a nationally recognized and respected news anchor.
Along the way, she faced racism and sexism from all angles. Chung also dealt with the pain of infertility with her husband Maury Povich and the desire to become a mother.
I remember watching Chung on the news when I was a girl. Her presence back in the day was unquestioned. She was just another reporter, her race and gender meant nothing. After reading her book, it is easy to see the path she carved and the difficulties she faced along the way. It is thanks to her and that generation of female journalists that have opened the door to today’s powerhouse names in news.
My favorite section of the book was where she met a group of young ladies named Connie, all AAPI. I can’t think of a better legacy.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
Connie: A Memoir is available wherever books are sold.
I am all for free speech and the right to make your gripes known, but the public burning of religious texts is something else entirely. It doesn’t take a genius or a historian to go that far back in time to see where book burning can lead to. It also begs to ask how this leads to real and lasting peace in the region. Hint: it doesn’t.
Sweden has now approved the burning of sacred Jewish texts on July 15th in a “demonstration against Israel”; this is in response to protests after an Iraqi Christian guy burned a Quran… somehow it’s always the Jews’ fault. Sure freedom, but funny how it always becomes about Jews
“COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”
Two things come to mind: the first is that the virus did not give a rat’s ass about one’s skin color or familial background. Second is that it goes back to the false antisemitic ideology that Ashkenazi Jews are not white. The last time I checked, my skin was as pale as his.
Traveling via plane is a safe way to get to a faraway destination. But then there are accidents every once in a while that catches the attention and imagination of the world.
In March 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (also known as MH370) took off from the airport in Kuala Lumpur. The final destination was Beijing. The plane never arrived at its final destination. For nine years, the questions about what happened to the plane and the 239 souls aboard have yet to be answered.
The new three-part NetflixdocumentaryMH370: The Plane That Disappeared follows the existing breadcrumbs to try to understand exactly what happened. Interviewing family members, experts, journalists, and others leads the viewer down the path of various theories.
What got me was the emotion of the story and the heartbreaking tales from the family members who have yet to have a concrete explanation. Unlike Lost or Manifest, this is not fiction. These are real people who are hurting and desperately craving peace of mind.
Do I recommend it? Absolutely.
MH370: The Plane That Disappeared is available for streaming on Netflix.
Writergurlny 
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