Review of Mother Tongue: A Memoir of Taiwan
- jodiwebb9
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
More about Mother Tongue: A Memoir of Taiwan
“Standing by the window, I tried to understand what happened to me to take such an unfathomable leap… What I hadn’t realized was that first, my one and only assignment would be to learn the language.”
In 1984, when Linda Petrucelli arrives in Taiwan with her husband Gary Hoff, she assumes she will learn Mandarin Chinese. Instead, her local church partner, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, assigns her to learn Taiwanese, an eight-toned ancient tongue that few Westerners ever attempt. What began as a daunting assignment turns into a transformative journey of faith, identity, and resilience. Set during the world’s longest period of martial law, Mother Tongue offers candid insight into Taiwan’s nonviolent struggle toward democracy, the political power of language, and the universal search for belonging. In her odyssey to communicate in the island’s mother tongue, Linda learns the political implications of language, insight into her own ethnic identity, and the value of finding humor in her mistakes.
More about Linda Petrucelli
Linda Petrucelli’s creative nonfiction essays have earned Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations, and her fiction accolades include first place in the Women on Writing Fall 2018 Flash Fiction Contest. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Linda holds degrees from Yale Divinity School and Chicago Theological Seminary. For ten years, she served as a missionary in Taiwan, becoming fluent in the Taiwanese language. Her wide-ranging ministerial service includes work as a humanitarian relief executive in New York City and pastorates in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and on the Big Island of Hawaii. She now resides in Hawi, Hawaii, with her artist husband, Gary Hoff, and writes on the lanai of their tin-roofed rancher overlooking the ʼAlenuihāhā Channel.
Thoughts about Mother Tongue
We all dream of one time or another of having a grand adventure. Of course, safely in our dream world, everything goes perfectly according to plan during our grand adventure. Linda Petrucelli's memoir Mother Tongue is the tale of a grand adventure...but. We hired you to do this job...but instead do this job. You expected to learn this language...but instead try this language. Practice your conversational skills...but no one wants to talk this language.
This honest memoir shows us the reality behind the grand adventure pastor Linda Petrucelli took with her artist husband Gary Hoff. In addition to the excitement, the new friends, the surprises it also shows us the frustration, the fear, the jealousy, the confusion. Petrucelli paints a detailed picture of Taiwan with small details and snippets of life as she comes to terms with the real purpose of her time as a missionary.
If you wonder what it's like to be thrown into the deep end of the cultural pool, Mother Tongue is the memoir for you.
Catch up with Linda at:
Website: http://lindapetrucelli.com
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