Of Roots and Wings

This family story begins in the colonial days of Myanmar (then called Burma), and it's an important historical account that sheds light on the country's people, history, and place in the world. Continuing the account she began in A Journey in Time, Wai Wai Myaing picks up with her family's return to Myanmar's capital city of Yangon after allied forces reoccupied the country in the aftermath of World War II. They discovered their family home had been torched to the ground, but they bravely put themselves to the task of rebuilding their lives and celebrated as the country regained its independence January 4, 1948. The family's fortunes, however, were subject to the winds of political change, which bent and shaped their lives. Independence brought with it factions that fought for power-and not all of them had the people's best interests at heart. Filled with pictures and history that must not be forgotten, this memoir is one story of one family, which-like so many others in Myanmar-places great value on education, traditions, and sustaining a peaceful life with integrity, generosity, and a strong faith in the teachings of the Buddha.