An excerpt from former Beijing resident Susan Conley‘s forthcoming memoir The Foremost Good Fortune recently appeared in the New York Times. Conley, who moved to Beijing with her husband and two sons in 2008, writes in her memoir about how her family used "humor and good old fashioned love in the face of dislocation [in]a foreign country," as well as about the trials of living overseas while dealing with breast cancer.
In her review on Booklist, Deborah Donavan writes: "Conley’s compelling and humorous account of the ‘cultural zeitgeist’ in which they are suddenly immersed draws the reader in immediately. It’s a travelogue, a cultural history, and a memoir of parenting successes and disasters as she and [husband]Tony feel as though they’re running a ‘small overnight camp for American boys in Beijing.’ As their initially reluctant sons gradually make friends, and Susan slowly learns enough Mandarin to negotiate bargaining at the market and trips with visitors to the Great Wall, their lives seem to be reaching an even keel. Then Susan discovers lumps in her left breast. The family returns for Susan’s mastectomy and follow-up radiation to Maine, where family and friends take over as surrogate moms, shuffling the boys from one activity to the next. Then they’re back in Beijing, where Susan must come to grips with not only a foreign culture but also ‘the haze of cancerland.’ Beautifully written and insightful on many levels."
The Foremost Good Fortune comes out February 8 and you can pre-order the book on Amazon. Susan Conley is currently appearing at bookstores, libraries and universities and speaking with cancer survivor groups in the US – you can catch up with her on her blog and on Facebook (VPN needed if you’re in China).
