In 1911, impoverished Hakka Chinese immigrants arrive on the tropical island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Among the newcomers, a hungry child. The hard-working boy helps his father, a shopkeeper and surrenders his earnings to him according to Chinese tradition.
While he serves the islanders, the young man ingeniously builds the business, negotiates his way through racial divisiveness, and falls in love. But his trust in the old system is put to test. This work of fiction unfolds during the overthrow of the Chinese Emperor, the rise of communism, the Japanese invasion of China, and the First and Second World Wars.
Peggy Lampotang was born in Mauritius and lives in Canada. She has a Creative Writing Certificate from University of Toronto.Her non-fiction writing has been published in Canadâ™s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail and in college textbooks by Nelson Education, one of Canada’s leading educational publishers. Her short story has appeared in Facing Challenges, a collection of stories by Immedia of Mauritius. Peggy is a writer, artist, and photographer who works from Toronto.
