Introducing a New Book for Asian Heritage Month by Canadian Author — Nancy Lam: The Loyal Daughter
Written by Deborah Lau-Yu
A Best Book of Fiction Selection, 2022
— CBC Books
Remarkably original, sensitive, and startlingly honest.
— Robert Rotenberg, Bestselling author of Downfall
Based on her family’s story, Nancy Lam’s debut novel spans multiple generations of women in China, Hong Kong, and Canada. As each struggles with poverty, love, and identity, The Loyal Daughter poses the universal question: What Is loyalty — helping one’s family or being true to one’s own self?
— Jan Wong, author, Red China Blues
NANCY LAM
Asian Heritage Month is a fitting time to celebrate authors from the Asian-Canadian community, and new to the scene is immigration lawyer Nancy Lam. Her debut novel, The Loyal Daughter, is loosely based on her mother’s journey from China (Hong Kong) to Canada, spanning from the 1940s to present day. Told through the perspectives of a mother, daughter and grand-daughter, the story speaks to the myths and realities of the immigrant journey in North America which include complex relationships and generational challenges and trauma. In her full-time role as a lawyer, she regularly helps newcomers to Canada to cope with struggles and to find success as immigrants in a new country. Perhaps her personal experiences from both her family and professional settings have contributed to the honest, raw, and layered storytelling found in the book. For many families who are part of the Chinese diaspora community, this book will tug at the heartstrings and be a place where one will find commonalities in the victories and struggles of identity, culture, and hope.
John Cruickshank, publisher at the Toronto Star (2008-2016) and Canadian Consul General in Chicago (2017-2020) shares his views on the book: “This is a foundation story chronicling a Chinese family’s leap from a familiar but restrictive old world to a new one rich in opportunity and challenge. At the heart of the saga is a woman of such extraordinary will power and energy that no obstacle could stand against her. Her portrait is drawn with an equal measure of love and candour and she emerges as both profoundly human and heroic. We will only truly understand Canada today when stories like this one become widely read and circulated. This is a genesis story of our modern Canada. Reading this book will make you feel proud and hopeful about this country today.” A glowing review, he captures the importance of deepening the understanding of the immigrant experience in Canada, a place of hope and possibility, and a place that upholds diversity as one of its most celebrated and significant strengths.
Lam is a well-spoken author, and her book has been discussed on the CBC and on the television show The Social. Support her work by purchasing a copy online and you also have a chance to win a copy this week with Fête Chinoise in our giveaway on Instagram!
“Lam’s debut novel resonates because it’s about women reinventing themselves to find fulfillment.”
— Erica Ehm, Canadian icon and founder of the YummyMummyClub.ca
Author Nancy Lam explores the immigrant experience | The Social
SPonsored by FERRIS WHEEL PRESS
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The Toronto Public Library Foundation’s Biblio Bash once again graced the halls of the Toronto Reference Library yesterday, continuing its tradition since 2017. This annual black-tie fundraiser brings authors, literary enthusiasts, and philanthropists together to support the Toronto Public Library’s most pressing needs. This year, the funds raised will unlock opportunities for newcomers to Canada to support vital library services that assist individuals and families settling in our city.