A beautiful memoir deftly mixing myths and facts.

In this book we meet the extraordinary Chan family starting with T’ai Peng who was forced to flee war torn China at eighteen. Finally making it safely to America. Once he arrives he will give up his name becoming Robert Chan. Finding work at the Willie Chin and Co laundry he will marry and have six children sharing with them the myths and stories of China. His fifth born child Robert Earl Chan. Known as Earl Chan as a child and Bob Chan as an adult will go on to live an extraordinary and very long life. He will be many things in his lifetime an athlete ,scholar ,inventor and a spy . He rose to the top in the army he married twice the last time to the love of his life and late in life become a father to his daughters Alexandra and his adopted daughter Mee Ra. His daughter Alexandra herself an accomplished archaeologist. As well as a scholar and writer finds herself feeling lost as she attempts to heal from the loss of her mother and some years later the loss of her father. Guided by her inner voice she finds comfort and healing in travel gardening and meditation. As she goes through her fathers letters and her own memories she learns more about the Chan family and what they call the old Chan magic her father and the importance of the belief in myths and magic as well as knowledge because both teach. But myth and magic feed the soul and heal the heart. She teaches us that healing from loss doesn’t mean letting go of loved ones just letting go of pain. That family lives forever in our hearts and all around us and home is a feeling we carry with us as well as a place.I truly enjoyed this memoir the stories from all the different times in the life of the different generations of the Chan family. This book deals with hard subjects in turbulent times but it does so with grace. This book is written so vividly and beautifully you will feel as if you are seeing the story unfold before you. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves memoirs or just well written non fiction with just a hint of magic.