In the South Asian archipelago known as the Andaman Islands, aboriginal tribes thrived for 60,000 years before the onset of British colonialism nearly wiped them out. Best selling novelist Aimee Liu struggled for years to set a book there, but got nowhere until she finally had the opportunity to visit the islands and learn of the part they played in World War II. The result – “Glorious Boy,” an epic yet intimate portrayal of love and war that, as Publishers’ Weekly says “upends the cliches of the white savior narrative.”
In this conversation, Aimee talks about the differences between online and on-site research, why writing nonfiction is easier than fiction, and how reliant she is on first-person accounts. We also discuss the several themes of the book, from the influence of British Colonialism, which her own father observed growing up in China, to family dynamics, to the struggles that working mothers have always faced in trying to achieve balance.
There’s a lot of a story that falls on the cutting room floor when you’re in the final stages of writing a book.
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!