The Translator’s Daughter: A Memoir

When Prasad was two years old, her family moved from Taiwan to the United States due to their fear of political repression by Chiang Kai-shek’s government. But when Prasad was a college student, her parents returned to Taiwan, leaving her to mostly fend for herself in the U.S. During her periodic visits to her parents, she relied on them to navigate social and family life in Taiwain due to her loss of familiarity with her native language. She began to realize the depth of her dependence on her parents as they aged, developed health problems, and eventually passed away, which inspired her to regain her familiarity with the language and culture of her birthplace. As Prasad recounts how she reclaimed her Taiwainese heritage, readers learn that she views herself as someone caught between two cultures, who wants to feel that she belongs.