Haven Books is an English-language press that aims to put a wide range of interesting books into readers' hands. Our titles focus primarily on Hong Kong and Asian themes.

This is a self-help book that reads like a personal memoir about a time when thoughtful manners and social customs were part of everyday living, even for the young. Centered on the relationship between the author and her mother, which reached a new depth of understanding after the mother's death, the book describes long-gone family traditions and practices. Readers receive insight into the unique point in history: the family experiences the Japanese invasion of China before the 1949 civil war, and a subsequent exodus to Hong Kong. Anecdotes and stories about those times make this book entertaining, heartwarming and worth sharing with the next generation.

From the author:

My mother was a complicated woman: a mixture of traditional Chinese filial piety, sense of duty and integrity, with modern (even Western) values of independent thinking, standing up for her beliefs, and defying traditions when necessary.

After introducing her as a daughter, a wife, a mother, a woman, and a person, I will share with you the many precious lessons for life that she passed on to me. Some may think these lessons old-fashioned, but they are about timeless human values and principles, many forgotten or simply ignored in our fast-paced lives.

My mother's life lessons are like recipes—some sweet, some sour, and some spicy. In the book, they are divided into three sections. First, Recipes for the Soul, focusing on the personal level, or what Confucius referred to as improving the self. Second, Recipes for Successful Relationships, about how one behaves towards other human beings. And third, Recipes for Agreeable Living, about dealing with the various affairs of life.

Throughout her life, my mother lived these tenets daily, and taught by example. She made me realise who I am, what I want, and what I should and should not do. Hers was a gift I wish to share with you.

SALES FROM THIS BOOK WILL BENEFIT
ROOM TO READ AND THE COMMUNITY CHEST OF HONG KONG