Will of a Tiger
Page 27
Such an invaluable bond was worth dying for.
The two brothers had used their lives to attest to the concept of Yi—morality, duty, loyalty, decency, and brotherhood. No matter how difficult, Birch would keep this principle alive, for himself, for his best friend, and for the next generation.
Sweeping his hand from left to right, he asked, “What would Danny do if he could see us now?” A wholehearted smile graced his lips. Feeling Danny’s spirit close, he raised his voice. “I bet he would grin from ear to ear.”
A tentative smile broke through Susan’s grief. “And his smile would light up the universe.”
Tears clung to her long eyelashes, but love came to life in her eyes—golden-brown eyes, just like Danny’s.
Interview with the Author
Did you plan to write Will of a Tiger when you wrote Wings of a Flying Tiger?
No, I didn’t. I started writing this book several months after I finished Wings of a Flying Tiger. During that time I kept on thinking and imagining what might have happened to the characters in the first book after their rescue of Danny Hardy, the American pilot. Those characters became so real to me that I wanted to know how their lives turned out to be. So I started researching, not only about The War Against Japan, but also Chinese history afterwards.
The more I learned about the survivors of war, the more I realized how much adversity they had faced, especially for someone like Birch Bai. Surviving The War Against Japan might have been the beginning of his long battle. On top of physical disability, emotional grief, and survivor’s guilt, he had to deal with the dreadful political reality—the Chinese Civil War and the separation of the country.
Is it true that the Japanese military questioned an American POW about the atomic bomb?
Yes, it was true. After the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the Japanese questioned an American pilot who was captured on August 8, 1945 for information about the nuclear weapon. Under torture, he “confessed” that the U.S. possessed one hundred more atomic bombs. Ironically, this forged number might have swayed Japan toward making the decision to surrender.
When did Taiwan lift Martial Law? And when were the exiles in Taiwan allow to visit Mainland China?
Martial Law was lifted in 1987. In the same year, after a 38-year blockage, the Communist government on the Mainland opened the door to the people of Taiwan. This benefited many, especially former Nationalist soldiers, who had been separated from their families on the Mainland for decades.
Did anyone actually search for the remains of those American airmen who perished in China?
Yes! There were individuals and organizations that vigorously searched for the remains of the Americans who died for China during The War against Japan. In a number of cases, the remains were found and transported back to their hometowns in the States.
Did you or your family serve in the military?
No, I didn’t have any military experience. Nor did most of my family. However, my grandfather, Yang Duanliu, served as the Director of the Audit Office of the Central Military Commission in mid 1930s. He was an economist and a professor at Wuhan University. Because of his immense knowledge in economics, he had given lectures to Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Republic of China. He was the only admiral who was allowed to wear plain clothes in the Nationalist Military. When I wrote General Bai, I thought of my grandfather: gentle, intelligent, principled, and disciplined.
Why do you like to write wartime stories?
My mother asked me a similar question when I was young. She was curious about why a quiet, shy girl liked to read books about war. I didn’t have any answers at the time. I didn’t even know the reason. Now looking back, I can see it clearly. I was born a very shy and fearful person. I was afraid of pretty much everything—darkness, height, insects, snakes, strangers, public speaking... It was because of my shyness and fear that I loved reading wartime stories. I looked up to heroes. I admired their courage and their spirit. I read books about those extraordinary people so that I could be inspired by their heroic acts and hopefully learn from them.
Growing up in a family of professors, I’ve always loved reading. Even before I was born, my parents and grandparents bought books for me. However, during the Cultural Revolution, the Red Guards came to our home and took most of the books away. I read the few leftovers again and again because there weren’t many books available—for almost ten years the libraries were closed and the bookstores had nothing except political works. You can’t imagine how hungry I was for books!
But I was lucky to have a wonderful father. My hometown, Wuhan, is one of the “Three Furnaces” in China. We had no air conditioning or electric fans. In the hot and humid summer evenings, we sat outside. Surrounded by neighboring kids, my father told us stories—from Chinese masterpieces to Western classics, including some of the most heroic tales such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, The Great General Yue Fei, and Spartacus. Those summer nights influced me in many ways.
So as a writer, I write what I love to read: heroic tales with touching love stories. And I’m happy to say that I’m no longer a shy or fearful person. Check www.irisyang-author.com for more information.
Acknowledgments
My deep appreciation to Anne Crosman, who volunteered to edit the manuscript. A retired journalist of thirty years, she was patient and thorough. Together we went through the manuscript word by word, line by line. I’m forever grateful for her kindness and help.
Many thanks to Marywave Van Deren and Gary Jacobson for showing up unexpectedly to offer much needed guidance.
I’m grateful to three writing groups led by Naxie Reiff and Rodger Christopherson, Sy Brandon and Jim McMeekin, and Gary Every and Robin Harris. Their feedback made my book better, and their praises kept me going. I’m thankful to Megan Aronson, David Kanowsky, and Dana Best for reading the story to the groups. Thanks to Sedona Public Library and Cottonwood Public Library for their invaluable resources.
My heartfelt thanks to all the readers of my first novel, Wings of a Flying Tiger. Special thanks to those who went out of their way to support the book: Greg Curtis, Jim Wilfong, Ed Bustya, Carolyn Francis, Phil Sullivan, Melinda Collis, Brian Daniel, Manije Irani, Bertie Boston, Judy Glasser, Jeff Howard, Becky Coltrane, Paul Falk, Tom Tate, Roy Murry, Les Gee, Susan Sage, Emit Blackwell, Mary Anne Yarde, Colleen Story, Linda Hill, Barbara Bos, Cheryl Holloway, Clarissa Devine, Gale Zasada, Karen Bernard, Meg Stivison, John Genord, Anna Casamento Arrigo, Rebecka Jager, Jolene Pierson, Doug McDaniel, Ginny Storey, Ellen Rosher, Lou Sideris, Celeste Barrett Rubanick, Tom Murphy, Jade Vincent, Valerie Thompson, Jay Bower, Hayley Gross, Paul Steffy, Susan Birdsey, Susie Alvarado, Allyson Tilton, Janet Flowers, Michael Norwood, Katie Tsui, Yan Li, Yuli Wang, Cheng Wang, Xiaoying Yin, Leon Zhang, Jing Isabel Liu, Alex Zhu, Hang Liu, Cathy Kimball, Fred Mao, Frank Liu, Min Cheng, Zhe Liang, and Garry Guan.
My sincere gratitude to David Ross and Kelly Huddleston at Open Books. Once again, they made my dream come true.
Finally, I give thanks to my family. I’m eternally grateful to my mother Zhou Chang and father Yang Hongyuan for their love. My special thanks to my sister Jin Yang, daughter Jessie Xiong, and best friend Libby Vetter for their encouragement and support.