Shiao Shen Yu

Chinese Chop Suey: A Collection of Essays, Short Stories and Columns Shiao Shen Yu

'Chinese Chop Suey ' is a collection of short stories and columns. Pueblo chieftain, a daily newspaper in Pueblo, Colorado, published the columns from 1988 to 1995. The columns introduce the Chinese language, customs, folklores, festivals, with the historical noteworthy and backgrounds. The short stories are the true-life stories of Chinese women. 'Silk worms' is the story of the first Chinese Empresses who discovered 'silk'. 'My mother's big feet' depicts a Chinese woman's sad story because she did not have her feet bound as the custom demanded before the turn of the 20th century. 'First Wife' and 'A snowy night in Canada' are true stories of two Chinese women who live through the political conflicts between the Communist China and the Chinese government in Taiwan in the 20th century. The author chooses to write things of Chinese randomly, not chronically. She strives to have each piece be dotted with bits of history and customs. She hopes the readers can grasp a better understanding about the Chinese, the people and the culture. Her two novels: 'A pledge under the willow tree' and 'Ceo-lian, a living widow' are the stories of two Chinese women in the 19th century.