Shirley Lim book launch and reading

Book launch and readings by Shirley Geok-lin Lim
at
Silverfish Books, 58-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur (Tel: +603-228 448 37)
on
Saturday, 14th June 2008 at 5.30 pm

Princess Shawl

Mei Li inherits a shawl from a grand-aunt she doesn't know, which whisks her to historical times and places. Before she turns ten in two weeks, she must rescue the Chinese princess, Li Po, from the barren island where the wicked bomoh has exiled her. Mei Li meets women in Singapore, Cameron Highlands and Malacca who teaches her about courage, nurturing, trust and skills such as cooking, nursing, and climbing mountains. With the help of a magic hairpin, of special rogue and of water that can bring you home, she succeeds in uniting the Princess with the brave Sultan Mansur.

"A powerful book. Mei Li, nine years old almost ten, lives in Singapore with parents from Malaysia and China. Her daily life is magical enough, but then a shawl for a princess arrives in the mail...

Like a magic carpet, the shawl flies her away to far lands and times. She must help the wounded and the lost during a war among Portugal, Holland and Melaka. Among the many powers she learns is the ability to heal others. An enchanting and realistic book."

Maxine Hong Kingston
author of The Woman Warrior and Chinamen.

"In this enchanting story of resourceful bravery and love between family members by blood and
choice, between a sultan and a princess, between young and old, Shirley Lim with the utmost economy weaves a brilliant overview of history and culture. A delicious tour de force."

Anca Vlasopolos
author of The New Bedford Samurai

Dr Shirley Lim is Professor of English and Women's Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She was formerly Chair Professor of English and head of the English Department at the University of Hong Kong. Her first book of poems, Crossing The Peninsula (Heinemann Press, 1980), won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and her memoir, Among The White Moon Faces: An Asian-American Memoir of Homelands (Feminist Press, 1997), received the American Book Award. She is the author of two novels Joss and Gold and Sister Swing. A collection of poems Listening to the Singer was published by Maya Press in 2007.