Gene, his parents, and his mom's cousin are standing at the only remaining back door of the estate Gene's great-uncle had built for his still-expanding family in 1947. For much of her early childhood, Gene's mother lived there with a large pack of cousins. Great-aunt A-tai had sixteen children, thirteen of whom lived to adulthood.…Read more Ningbo, China: The old Chen family home
family history
Tugging at my sleeve
When I met Popo (婆婆) on Friday morning, she was sitting out on the enclosed back porch in the sun, waiting with gifts for me. Jewelry, appropriately. The necklace and earrings are lovely, but the overlarge ring she then placed on my finger is a treasure. As Popo explained, it was her paternal grandmother's, given…Read more Tugging at my sleeve