Publisher's Synopsis
The contributors to this volume were almost all born and raised during two recent tumultuous periods of China - First the devastating Sino Japanese War that lasted a little more than seven years, and then the civil war which drove most of them to Taiwan, a new land to them. Their childhood and adolescent years were often spent in moves, to escape from the turbulences generated in the two wars. They then came to Taiwan, an impoverished land then which had just recovered from the Japanese occupation only to be engulfed in political and economical instabilities that overflowed from mainland China to Taiwan. After 1949, political stability was somewhat established but the Island still faced stark economical reality. The authors were lucky enough to be admitted to the best university in Taiwan, but the "best" was at best a euphemism. Students were often left to study on their own. Yet they persevered. Many college graduates - a large fraction from Taiwan University - were able to secure scholarships from the United States and other countries to pursue post graduate studies. This was a relief, though temporary because the immigration laws in the United States then were not friendly to non-European citizens. Yet their hard work earned respect from U. S. manufacturers, corporations and last but not the least, universities and colleges. Difficulties with the immigration laws were often bypassed through special legislations. Eventually their efforts became a part of the forces that compelled the United States to change their immigration policies to become more equitable. They succeeded in their new countries - though a majority stayed in the United States. They became elites of society - and, after several decades during which they have learned how to fly high enough to soar in the sky of accomplishments, they also earned the title "Early Graduates." They are now enjoying the fruits of their lifetime hard work. Yet they refuse to become idle. Many continue to work but many more move to other interests which they always wanted to do but could not find time to do. Among these interests is writing. Story telling was invented by humans since prehistoric times, a gift to fellow humans as well to story tellers themselves. Writing preserves the stories told. This English volume and its sister volume in Chinese, tell true stories of the experiences of the authors during the tumultuous years of the two wars; some on pleasant moments in personal lives, but many were on sad encounters. These stories were written as a part of human history, however trivial, so that future generations will know and learn - especially not to allow similar turmoil to happen again. These two volumes contain only tidbit personal experiences that happened in a flash moment of human history, but these are stories of our generation. They tell the suffering, the struggle, occasional happy moments, but most importantly, the eventual fulfillment of a human goal - to soar, even if it were not in a physical sky.
