The Collected Writings of Sui Sin Far

Description

Inspired by the author's experience living among Chinese Americans in the United States, The Collected Writings of Sui Sin Far highlights stories of prejudice, perseverance, and the soul of a proud and vibrant community. Characterized by her wisdom and cross-cultural knowledge, Mrs. Spring Fragrance is one of Sui Sin Far's most beloved characters and can be found throughout the collection of stories. "In the Land of the Free" is a powerful story inside this collection on a Chinese immigrant who is separated from her young son due to insufficient paperwork. Exploring the struggles of this woman to reclaim her son, discrimination and hardships faced by Chinese Americans due to the Chinese Exclusion Act are exposed, illuminating the restrictive immigration policies which continue in modern America. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this Mint Editions version of The Collected Writings of Sui Sin Far is a classic of Chinese American literature reimagined for modern readers.

Sui Sin Far (1865-1914) was a Chinese English writer known for writing stories on the experience of Chinese people in North America. Born in England to an English father and Chinese mother, she was raised as Edith Maude Eaton. The second of fourteen children, Far moved with her family to New York before returning to England in 1868. In 1872, they emigrated to Montreal, where the family struggled and Far was required to work to support her parents and siblings. At the age of 18, while working as a typesetter for the Montreal Star, Far began writing stories, articles, and poetry for local magazines. In 1896, she went to Jamaica, where she worked as a journalist before moving to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Employed as a legal secretary, she began writing articles exploring her Chinese heritage and stories illuminating the experience of Chinese Americans suffering under the Chinese Exclusion Act. In 1912, she published Mrs. Spring Fragrance, a popular collection of short stories tracing the lives of Chinese families living on the American west coast.