The Fruit from a Desire for Petty Revenge: The Backstory of The Moon Goddess's Smile

During an author's pop-up event, a reader asked me where I got the idea for my debut novel. Since she found the backstory fascinating, I’d like to share it with everyone. The embarrassing truth is that the seed of this novel is a desire for petty revenge.

I’ve always dreamed of becoming a storyteller. Growing up in China, I heard a gold mine of Chinese myths, legends, and fantastical stories. However, my parents forbade me from studying Liberal Arts because of a family tragedy: In 1957, my grandfather disappeared shortly after he wrote an article mildly criticizing the Chinese Communist Party. Out of fear, my parents even discouraged me from keeping a diary. Long story short, I became a biochemical engineer in China. In the wake of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989, I came to the United States as a graduate student in biomedical sciences. Then, after NIH cut our lab funding in the early 1990s, I eventually became a podiatrist. As a Chinese immigrant, I was wired to choose a “safe” career to make a living.

Fate intervened again when I visited my parents in China eight years ago. Over a family banquet, I learned that two local newspapers had published untrue stories about my late grandfather. The innuendos bordered on character assassination. The entire clan was upset, but there was nothing they could do about it. Thus, I decided to set the record straight.

After honing my writing skills at Grubstreet in Boston, I started writing about my beloved grandpa. Soon, I realized that my family’s survival stories in a tumultuous century can be a case study of recent Chinese history, and the underlying theme of enlightenment-seeking is universal.

When I told a friend about my novel, he asked me: “What makes your story different from Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club?” For many Americans, that novel, published in 1989, is the gold standard of Chinese American literature.

I considered the question tricky, comparing apples and oranges. However, it’s a fair question for readers to ask. Well, first of all, the resilience of a Chinese family is only one of the motifs of my novel, and the mother-daughter relationship isn’t a central theme. Secondly, my story has a rich tapestry, with “complex interplay of culture and identity at many levels.” The cultural identity struggle is even more relevant in today’s America. I used a homecoming journey in 2012 as the story spine, weaving in my own experience as a conflicted first-generation Chinese American navigating cultural clashes. A chapter titled “A Scientist Without a Border” was written five years before our current escalation of Sino-American tension. Still, it remains excruciatingly poignant in 2025. Lastly, my book celebrates the human potential of reaching enlightenment during a crisis. Mei, the protagonist, struggles throughout her life to understand the deeper meaning of an unusual Chinese myth (of an ordinary housewife who became the Moon Goddess by accident). When she finally deciphers the mysterious smile of the tragic Moon Goddess, her self-discovery journey also comes full circle. Despite some dark moments, the novel ends on an uplifting note.

This is a long-winded way to explain how my petty revenge evaporated into the universe during my writing journey. Writing is not merely cathartic. I genuinely believe I’ve grown into a more expansive person because of the process. At least, I’m closer to reaching my own enlightenment someday.

Two bonus takeaways from the meandering journey of an ultra-late boomer:

1. When you are really mad at someone or something, take a writing class. It is cheaper and saner than hiring a lawyer or seeing a therapist. And, you might even get amazing results since you are passionate about an issue.

2. Not a single minute in one’s life should be considered a waste of time. There is a silver lining to my long years in STEM: Even though I remember nothing from my study of Calculus and Linear Algebra, the knowledge retained from “Mechanical Drawing” really came in handy when I tried to assemble IKEA furniture according to their diagrams.

The Moon Goddess’s Smile

Since 2018, the United States has been embroiled in a trade war with China. China tariffs, China threat, a rising China... Every day, politicians fling at us these hailstone-sized buzzwords. As a result, many people are drowning in a subconscious deluge of fear and anxiety about China.

Undoubtedly, there will be casualties, even in a bloodless trade war. Sun Tzu stated in The Art of War, “If you know your opponent and know yourself, you need not fear a hundred battles.” So, here’s a fair question to ask: My fellow Americans, do you understand the real China and Chinese people?

Today, if you search Amazon bestsellers about Chinese people, you will notice an interesting trend: three of the top ten novels were written in the 1930s. That’s right, in 1937, by Pearl Buck, an American who lived in China in the early part of the 20th century. A few novels were meticulously researched and beautifully written by Lisa See, a Chinese American whose great-grandfather immigrated from China to California over a century ago. The rest are about ancient Chinese from the 16th to 18th centuries.

I hope you see my point now: If knowledge is power, then outdated, second-hand knowledge can be dangerous, in war or peace.

Now, here comes “a timely read.” The Moon Goddess’s Smile is a sweeping, atmospheric book that opens a unique window for Americans to glimpse the mysterious Chinese psyche. This acclaimed book was written by me, an immigrant who has struggled in two clashing cultures in the past three decades.

You may ask, why should it be YOU who writes an epic book about contemporary China? True, there are hundreds of talented Chinese writers living inside China. But, sadly, none of them can write freely and honestly without ending up in jail.

So, even though English is my second language and I don’t have an MFA degree in Creative writing, I took up this daunting project. Growing up in China, my extended family had enchanted me with a gold mine of fantastic stories. I also witnessed many of the historical events that have shaped modern China. Like the protagonist in my novel, I came to New York City as a graduate student. A biomedical research career and podiatry practice later, I followed my heart and pursued my dream: to become a storyteller. After honing my writing skills at Boston’s Grubstreet, I labored for over five years on this novel, which is loosely based on my family history and my own experience navigating two continents.

Dear readers, I invite you to dive into this immersive story and swim among some colorful, complex Chinese characters. Once you cross into the twenty-first century with the Hong family, you will gain a deep understanding of modern-day China.

Happy reading!