Q&A about Laolao's DragonGate

My first novel Laolao's DragonGate is available in Amazon!  

Some readers asked me questions about it.  

The following is the Q&A:

 Q: What inspired you to write this novel?

A: My Laolao (grandma).  I can’t make peace with her life.  I never forget her even though she passed away several years ago.  I always wanted to write a story based on her life, but I didn’t find time to do it until I was laid off in 2011.
 

 

Q: What’s the novel about?

A: Basically it’s about Pearl, a Chinese immigrant to America, who so badly wants to transform herself from a fish to a dragon.

            This is a story of a woman trying to navigate the world of collapse and change, of illusion and reality—and where she fits in, and all the love relationships from childhood to adulthood. 

            It is a story of a woman carrying the memories of three generations of Chinese women who have each had their own struggles to overcome, and sometimes not overcome.

Q: Pearl and her American husband Simon

A: Pearl has been living her American dream with her American husband Simon, until she was laid off.  She is now struggling with both her job search and marriage.  An American girl Rebacca is involved and causes fighting between Pearl and Simon.  A job opportunity in China occurs.  Ignoring Simon’s warning not to go, Pearl jumps at this three-day job interview. 
 

Q: DragonGate

A: Dragon’s Gate is the door to heaven.  Only the fish that are brave and strong enough can leap over the Dragon’s Gate.  The successful fish will be transformed into a powerful dragon living in heaven ever after…

            Ironically, Pearl’s hometown has an identical name from the legend story, but her hometown DragonGate is a dirty and poor small city.  

Q: Pearl and Laolao

A: Laolao is the center of Pearl’s heart and soul. Laolao told Pearl the “fish jumping over Dragon’s Gate’ story first.  It encouraged Pearl to transform herself to a dragon.  Pearl is very close to her Laolao.  In some degree, Pearl is afraid she will have the same unlucky love life as her Laolao had.  Pearl started to hate her father when she was six years old, because her father smashed Laolao’s cotton spinning wheel.  Laolao is the symbol of her hometown DragonGate, suffering, dirty and poor.  Time stops in DragonGate.  A booming economy only changed people’s physical life, not their life style.