The girl from Purple Mountain

by May-Lee Chai

"The Girl from Purple Mountain is a true story of love, betrayal, and healing set against the shifting tides of twentieth-century China. It begins with a mystery: The Chai family matriarch, Ruth Mei-en Tsao Chai, dies unexpectedly, and her grieving husband discovers that she had secretly arranged to be buried alone - rather than in the shared plots they had purchased together years ago. Faced with this inexplicable situation, he decides that if he cannot lie next to his bride in death, he will buy a plot on the outskirts of her mausoleum and act as her guardian for all eternity. Such is his great love for his wife.". "In this family epic, Ruth's firstborn son, Winberg, and his daughter, May-lee, explore family history to reconstruct her life as they seek to understand her fateful decision. As Winberg writes, "It is my duty to try to understand my mother, to seek answers. To ignore the past is too much like forgetting...I hope my memories are enough to fulfill a son's obligations.""--BO