An ambitious man and his adoring daughter are separated and estranged by an ocean and by the tides of history in this “marvelous” novel (Los Angeles Times). For Anna Schoene, growing up in the magical world of Shanghai in the 1930s creates a special bond between her and her father. He is the son of missionaries, a smuggler, and a millionaire who leads a charmed but secretive life. When the family flees to Los Angeles in the face of the Japanese occupation, he chooses to stay, believing his connections and luck will keep him safe. He’s wrong—but he survives, only to again choose Shanghai over his family during the Second World War. Anna and her father reconnect late in his life, when she finally has a family of her own, but it is only when she discovers his extensive journals that she is able to fully understand him and the reasons for his absences. The Distant Land of My Father is a “beautiful” novel “for everyone who has ever felt himself in exile from any beloved place, or a time that can never return” (The Washington Post Book World). “Seamlessly weaves together Anna’s own memories with those of her father, gleaned from the journals . . . An elegant, refined story of families, wartime, and the mystique of memory.” —Kirkus Reviews “Vivid with details of prewar Shanghai and Los Angeles.” —Publishers Weekly “Lush and epic.” —San Jose Mercury News “Remarkable . . . A moving tale of love and the possibility of forgiveness.” —Library Journal

Anna had a charmed childhood in 1930s Shanghai with her smuggler father. Anna and her mother fled the Japanese occupation and settled in California, but her father stayed behind. Fifteen years later, Anna is grown with a family of her own in Los Angeles when her father reappears.

The Lums are cursed. Their early deaths come randomly, strangely, and often, be it by tainted cheeseburger or speeding ice cream truck. The most recent victim is Louis Lum's mother. Now Louis must move back home with his gangsta rap-obsessed father, Sonny, to prevent him from enacting the revenge he promises. But soon Louis's concern shifts to his uncle Bo Lum, who has disappeared in Hong Kong. As Louis's search progresses, the tragicomic story of three generations of Lums in America is revealed. Chieh Chieng graduated from the creative writing program at the University of California, Irvine, and has been published in Glimmer Train, the Threepenny Review, and the Santa Monica Review. * Chosen for Barnes and Noble's Discover Great New Writers Program * "This is a dazzling debut: poignant, prickly, and deliciously absurd."-Booklist "[Chieng is] a fresh comic voice...a touching and auspicious debut."-Orange Country Register

The book builds the case for the meaningful pursuit of life, walking towards ones purpose for existence. This, being a fundamental phenomenon in the life of a person, can only be inspired by God. Faith in Jesus Christ is necessary towards inspirational transformation in the life of a person. It calls for a deliberate plan to undergo a mindset change to redefining ones meaningful pursuit of life. The authors personal life experience is made use to illustrate the case. It draws contrast between the practices of the author before and after an encounter with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and those of his fellow professionals. Character formation in the life of a child is very important in a health perspective of life. Majority of the causes of moral decline in Tanzania results from negative societal impact on the youth. The latter pick lessons from the actions of the former.

The Volume Includes Selected Writings Of Sant Singh Sekhon, The Most Innovative Writer Of Punjab In 20Th Century. Included Here Are His Critical Articles, Covering Punjabi Poets Of All The Eras. Samples Of His Translation Also Figure In The Volume In Ample Measure In Which He Seeks To Pose A Creative Tension Between Punjabi And English.