Completing Mother's Memoir for Her - Richard Hsung | 108

In this episode, Kyle speaks with Richard Hsung, a retired organic chemist and professor, who shares his journey of identity as a third culture individual and the process of writing his mother's memoir, 'Spring Flowers, A Tale of Two Rivers.' Richard reflects on his experiences growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution, immigrating to the United States, and navigating life in academia. The conversation delves into themes of resilience, cultural heritage, and the importance of preserving family legacies through storytelling.

About Richard:

Richard Perkins Hsung was born in China in 1966 and was one of the first teens to leave China legally after Mao’s Cultural Revolution. He earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago and became a professor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, retiring in 2022. He spent ten years editing and completing Spring Flower (Earnshaw Books) by his mother, Jean Tren-Hwa Perkins, MD. Richard lives in Madison with his wife, where keeping squirrels from digging up his backyard has become a daily scientific obsession. Learn more at richardperkinshsung.com

About Spring Flower:

The three-volume memoir chronicles Jean Tren-Hwa Perkins, her life as an adopted child of American medical missionaries, survivor of China's brutal communist regime, being an ophthalmologist, immigrant, and mother. 

Learn more at richardperkinshsung.com

Check out Spring Flower (Earnshaw Books)