Overview

Alexandra Chan thinks she has life figured out until, in the Year of the Ram, the death of her father-her last parent-brings her to her knees, an event seemingly foretold in Chinese mythology. A left-brained archaeologist and successful tiger daughter, Chan finds her logical approach to life utterly fails her in the face of this profound grief. Unable to find a way forward, she must either burn to ash or forge herself anew. Slowly, painfully, wondrously, Chan discovers that her father and ancestors have left threads of renewal in the artifacts and stories of their lives. Through a long-lost interview conducted by Roosevelt's Federal Writers' Project, a basket of war letters written from the Burmese jungle, a box of photographs, her world travels, and a deepening relationship to her own art, the archaeologist and lifelong rationalist makes her greatest discovery to date: the healing power of enchantment. In an epic story that travels from prerevolution China to the South under Jim Crow, from the Pacific theater of WWII to the black sands of Reynisfjara, Iceland, and beyond, Chan takes us on a universal journey to meaning in the wake of devastating loss, sharing the insights and tools that allowed her to rebuild her life and resurrect her spirit. Part memoir, part lyrical invitation to new ways of seeing and better ways of being in dark times, the book includes beautiful full-color original Chinese brush paintings by the author and fascinating vintage photographs of an unforgettable cast of characters. In the Garden Behind the Moon is a captivating family portrait and an urgent call to awaken to the magic and wonder of daily life.

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9781959411543

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Reviews

“At heart [In the Garden Behind the Moon] is a memoir whose layers unfold to reveal a visual journal encompassing family history, travelogue, healing journey, and exercises in wonderment. Alexandra’s evocative illustrations and vintage photos enliven the narrative to make for a delightfully immersive experience. . . . In the Garden Behind the Moon is an honest and deeply fulfilling story whose images will mesmerize you as its words inspire and nurture you.” —Claire Chao, author of Remembering Shanghai, winner of the Rubery Book Award Book of the Year  “More than just another memoir, this book is good medicine! In this astonishing work, Alexandra Chan has blended a good bit of wisdom about the power of stories, the remarkable history of multiple generations of her family, and strands from Chinese mythology to create a rich and vivid tapestry. Like her grandfather who was named after the Great Phoenix, Chan, too, knows something about being reborn. Reading this tale is like sitting with the author as she says, ‘Look, here is one map to going through the fire and ashes and coming out the other side. Let’s see how you can do it, too.’ Highly recommended for all library collections.” —Clint Chamberlain, librarian  “On the other side of grief can be wisdom, deep understanding, and rebirth. I strongly recommend Chan’s memoir to anyone who has lost someone or something they deeply love and is going through the valley of pain and confusion. Chan shows her readers the light, the ‘Old Chan Magic,’ on the flip side of darkness, telling them there is beauty here, there is love, you are never alone. I suggest this book to therapy clients, therapists, friends, and anyone searching for hope amid darkness.” —Christine Garcia, PsyD, CEO of Side by Side  “In this expansive memoir, Alexandra Chan reveals how art and story are limitless sources for inner strength and personal awakening. Her Chinese brush paintings illuminate magical descriptions and remarkable lives. Chan’s art reminds us to imagine and to find connection and beauty all around us.” —Dr. Austen Barron Bailly, PhD, award-winning art historian, author, and chief curator of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art  “History and magic blend to create an unforgettable tapestry of interwoven, intergenerational stories of persistence and flourishing . . . a most unforgettable memoir.” —Manhattan Book Review  “Mixing insights from psychology and philosophy into its fond personal reflections and appreciation for tradition, In the Garden Behind the Moon is a hopeful memoir about cultural heritage, family, and healing.” —Foreword Reviews  

Author Information

Alexandra A. Chan is the author of Slavery in the Age of Reason: Archaeology at a New England Farm, as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters about the archaeology of northern slavery, early African America, and questions of race, place, identity, and becoming. As a mom, an archaeologist, a lover of soil and history, a photographer, a painter, and a writer, it’s not unusual to wonder, “What ties it all together?” And the answer is the same every time: At the end of the day, she is only ever doing what she has always done—watching people, searching for beauty and meaning in unusual places, and telling stories. Chan continues to be an avid traveler and collector of “lucky nuts” and to walk, garden, paint, write, stitch, build, and dream herself into ever gentler and more creative ways of being alive and human. She lives with her husband, her two sons, and their menagerie of animals in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

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