Mitchell to host speaker from Brown University on Sept. 29

Last Updated 9/27/2022 • Posted in News

Mitchell Community College has the pleasure of hosting Zhuqing Li, professor of East Asian Studies and faculty curator of the Rockefeller Library at Brown University to discuss her most recent book: Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden: Two Sisters Separated by China’s Civil War during a lecture and book signing event on September 29, at 6 p.m. in Shearer Hall, Statesville Campus.
Li’s book is described by The New York Times as “riveting,” and by The Wall Street Journal as “enduring.” The Los Angeles Review of Books describes how Li’s "compelling” story “explores the momentous impact of momentary decisions on people’s lives in the context of massively disruptive historical events.”

In the book, Li shares the story of her two aunts, Jun and Hong, who grew up in an illustrious Chinese family and lived in a lush estate known as the Flower Fragrant Garden, in China’s southeast coastal city of Fuzhou. But when Japanese forces occupy China alongside deprivations of World War II, civil war and revolution emerged which led to the family’s exile from their garden paradise and their descent into poverty. The sisters demonstrate resilience and ambition in the face of adversity, becoming prominent in their respective careers and lives but are separated by circumstances beyond their control. The experiences of these two women, one determined to remember and the other determined to forget, ask us to reflect on the effects of civil unrest and social impact.

During the lecture, Professor Li will share photos while leading a discussion on topics of diversity, family, remembering and forgetting, and finding strength in the face of adversity.

The Bookstore located in the Student Union on the Statesville Campus will be open prior to the event (starting at 5:30 p.m.) for any interested individual who wants to purchase Li’s book. The Bookstore will still be open after the lecture, and guests can migrate to the Student Union for a reception meet-and-greet and book signing opportunity with the author.

Mitchell Community College invites you to join Professor Li for her book lecture on September 29 at 6 p.m. in Shearer Hall, Statesville Campus, 500 W. Broad St. Statesville, NC 28677. RSVP at Mitchellcc.edu/Li