Ten Thousand Flowers: After the Orphanage

From the author of the award-winning book, Chopstick Childhood-in a Town of Silver Spoons and its sequel, Bamboo Women, comes the next phase of Nona Mock Wyman’s life In 1935, two year old Nona Mock Wyman was abandoned at the Ming Quong Home, a Chinese girl’s orphanage in Los Gatos, California. Now, eighty-two year old Nona captures her life (after the orphanage) in Walnut Creek, California. Ten Thousand Flowers is told with honesty and truth, sprinkled with refreshing humor. It captures fascinating stories and lessons learned emanating from the forty-seven years as the owner of Ming Quong, a store in suburban Walnut Creek dating back to the 1960’s. Simply told, Nona’s memoirs are written in ‘haibun’ form (prose with haiku). Haiku and tanka (poems) from Nona, customers and friends are included, adding a twist of fresh air and a feeling of Spring. History is recorded with stories of Walnut Creek’s bustling growth. Free ‘trolley’ buses resembling San Francisco’s famous landmarks are now in operation. The conductor, a Ming Quong customer, will ding the bell and point out the store, proclaiming to her riders that ‘Ming Quong’ is the oldest existing store on Main Street and named one of the ‘7 Wonders of the East Bay.’