Richard Lin unfurls an exquisite story of life and love in this gripping memoir…with extraordinary candor and wit…his remarkable storytelling, keeps the reader thoroughly invested. A thoughtful personal reflection, this un-put-downable, satisfying story about young love, racism, and social prejudices is easy to fall for. (Five Star Review)
“Arizona Awakening's ability to move from youthful roots and infatuations to become a sweeping, epic story of change and romance is one of its many strengths and surprises. It is a powerful narrative of a young man's attempt to live up to his potential and his parents' expectations against the backdrop of social prejudice. It's a compelling memoir that will reach beyond young adult audiences to touch those interested in stories of love and transformation.”
Arizona Awakening by Richard C. Lin is a compelling memoir…a beautifully narrated story, told in a gripping first-person narrative voice… It is told with humor and a voice that kept me turning the pages. (Five Star Review)
Arizona Awakening is an exuberant and tender look back at those years when the world is joyously and painfully new, filled with possibilities and self-discovery. As a coming of age novel for adults looking back and for teens looking forward, this one can’t be beat. (Five Star Review)
Richard C. Lin has crafted a tender work of non-fiction that showcases the journey of love, with all of the sharp edges that real life brings us along the way... Richard’s culture, his hopes, dreams, and clashes all develop with natural storytelling and raw, honest emotion...that feels personal, but also cinematic and immersive... (Five Star Review)
Eloquent, adroitly written, and candid personal story of love and identity... This hard-to-put-down memoir’s greatest strength is the nuanced, poignant portrayal of Lin’s relationship with Lesley and deeply realized secondary characters. A seamless blend of sharp insights and skillful prose, the book paints an extraordinarily vivid picture of a teenager’s coming-of-age journey. Lovers of literary fiction will find much to admire in this intimate, immersive personal narrative.
This is a brave book, told candidly... Everything is presented in an engaging narrative that allows events to slowly unfold and gives the reader room to breathe as his recollections blossom... Lin's culture, dreams, and humor are all outlined with such entertaining openness that it frequently borders on the courageous... Simply put, Arizona Awakening is a brilliant and engaging book, told by a skilled craftsman.
“The bittersweet story of first love and battling racism in America. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Insightful, often even eye-opening, this skillfully written memoir will stay with you for a long time… Written in a lively and often amusing style, readers will find a lot to enjoy here… In fact, reading this, I was often reminded of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle – and that book won the Booker Prize in 1993! A touching memoir, candidly written, often thought-provoking, and always stimulating.
Excerpted from Chapter 1: Into the Groove, "Dancing in the Dark" captures the disarmingly earnest attempt by Richard to catch the eye, stir the mind, and capture the heart of Lesley at the MORP dance.
"Never Tear Us Apart" is an excerpt from ARIZONA AWAKENING's Chapter 20 of the same title. In it, Richard and Wai-Gong (his maternal grandfather) are banished from the ones they love for starkly different reasons.
"Painted Over" is an excerpt from ARIZONA AWAKENING's Chapter 22: In a Big Country, which centers on Quen and Richard's auditions to win the leading roles in Brophy's musical production of THE KING AND I. However their attempt to demonstrate to the world the charisma and grace of the Asian male meets with unexpected (or perhaps expected) results...
"The Other is Gold" highlights Richard's "volunteer" work at an elderly care center, where he grows close to three of the residents and learns the value of Chinese filial piety.
"To Where We Came From" is from ARIZONA AWAKENING's Chapter 12: My Father's Eyes. It describes Richard's adventures with his grandparents, uncles, and aunts from the Lin and Tang sides of his family while he was a four-years-old scamp in 1973 Taipei.
