Only One Year

Many of my stories deal with separation. Only One Year, Shanghai Messenger, The Key Collection, Grandfather Counts, Goldfish and Chrysanthemums, Eclipse, The Bear Makers all include family members who are separated by thousands of miles of ocean. Maybe this theme resonates with me because of my own family situation. When I was a child, my mother was often sad because her father lived behind the iron curtain. During the cold war, we were not able to see him; travel and communicate by mail were difficult. The sadness of my mother was transferred to me. My husband’s family situation was in some ways similar. My mother-in-law was separated from her entire family in China, and for years she didn’t even know if her parents or siblings were alive. Recently, I have had several English as a Second Language students from Asia, Africa, and Latin America who have sent their children back to their home countries to be raised by grandparents for a certain period of time. Only One Year comes from their stories. Although this idea may seem strange to some Americans, in many cultures, family means extended family. Grandparents are an integral part of the lives of their children and grandchildren. In the United States, we tend to segregate people by age. Old people often live in retirement centers or nursing homes. This is rare in China where often many generations live together. One of my husband’s uncles who hosted us in Shanghai lives in an apartment with his wife and granddaughter. His daughter and son-in-law live downstairs. Extended family members share everything and make decisions together. This is also the case in Only One Year. I hope readers see that there are so many ways to be a family. In Only One Year, Sharon and Mary have a hard time adjusting to Di Di’s absence. Later they have a hard time adjusting when he returned. But they do learn to accept and embrace the new situation. Although it is sometimes difficult, family bonds hold strong.