"Every cell in my body is filled with the code of generations of trauma, of death, of birth, of migration, of history that I cannot understand. Just piecemeal moments I collected from Auntie over the years. My family tried to erase this history. But my body remembers. My work ethic. My fear of cockroaches. My hatred for the taste of dirt. These are not random attributes, a spin of the wheel. They were gifted to me with purpose, with necessity. I want to have words for what my bones know. I want to use those gifts when they serve me and understand and forgive them when they do not.... I want to reclaim my stolen past. I need it, to write my future." 

Enlightening and helpful memoir that dives deep into Foo's life and her long journey to finally find helpful ways to grow and heal. The reminders of our need for mindfulness and productive reflection are especially useful now. As only one example, many people have buried their grief and trauma from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and use it now to lash out at those who still take precautions, allowing their fear to be used for eugenics and in service of fascism. Wear a mask and decouple health from worthiness. If we allowed our grief to be useful, we could build a world that prevents harm, rather than continuing to perpetuate it.