A Memoir of Misfortune by Su Xiaokang

faith to be saved according to Christianity. Qigong and faith healers brought little comfort to Fu Li. Western medicine also had its limits. Over time, Chinese acupuncture gave Fu Li the most benefit, and enabled her to regain some of her memory and mobility.

Su's book resulted from a column he wrote for the China Times, in which he recounted his suffering and sorrow from diaries he kept after the accident. He also includes excerpts from a diary his wife wrote when she first arrived in America, and transcribes her letters to him while he was in Paris and the U.S. to contrast their personalities and her old and new selves.

Su didn't intend to write for an audience; his writings were mainly for himself, but became popular with readers. Their shocking honesty and insights, revealing imperfections, lend his book incisiveness. His poetic prose -- translated by Zhu Hong -- shows him wrestling for meaning in his existence, wounded and wondering, emotions bared on the pages. In the afterward, Su questions whether he should have revealed so much personal information. Though he might feel that way, his words remind us all to cherish our good fortune lest it suddenly evaporate.

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Graphic courtesy of Random House.

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