The Alchemy of Hope: How I Faced Insanity and Thrived

by Sophia Jyeh-Shin Parker, Marianne Emma Jeff (Editor), Lisa Duncan (Editor)

Sophia lived her childhood in an orphanage in Taiwan. She was abandoned and abused, but she never gave up--she found a way to thrive. A child raising children, Sophia was expected to care for her brothers and sister, so she showed them how to thrive too. She sold trash in exchange for food and went to night school so that she could work during the day. Her hard work got her admitted to the best high school in Taiwan. She taught herself English and came to America, and later, traveled the world. Back in America, Sophia got her first corporate job. Within five years she was the top salesperson in the company's healthcare sector. One day after she landed a huge contract for the company, the Vice President introduced her to the man who would be taking over the contract she had brought in. She was asked to fetch coffee for the men while they discussed the transition. Sophia promptly quit that job and started a company with her son at 50 years old. Today that company has 160 employees and does $23M in annual revenue as well as donating profits to orphans around the world. Sophia knows first-hand what is possible when you use hope to transform your life.

230 pages, Paperback

Published July 5, 2019

Reviews

[Gracelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to read Sophia Parker's new book because I knew her personally. Rather, as I have now learned after completing the memoir, I thought I knew Sophia. I had no idea that this well accomplished woman had endured so much pain and suffering. As I read her story, I wanted to wrap my arms around this women who didn't know she was beautiful and love her up to make up for all the years she felt unloved. However, Sophia is no victim. Yes, she tells us about having to endure being being abused by her mother, separated from her parents to live in an orphanage, going hungry for long periods of time, and caring for her younger siblings while she was still a child herself ... and many more heartbreaking experiences as she was growing up. Yet, she does so without blame or shame. This person who never thought she was loved, exudes love throughout the telling of her story. She attributes this to the hope that stayed within her. As she says, "Hope is like oxygen, invisibly surrounding us at all times and necessary to continue living." Through her hope she was able to overcome and be a beacon of light to so many people -- including me. Her book opens with despair; but, ends with hope and a call to action for us to "Be the one small pebble tossed in the water that cause one thousand ripples." From Sophia, we learn of the deep Chinese culture and heritage in which she was born and how she merged this together with the American Dream. For so many reasons, this book is timely. I am so very grateful to have had Sophia show up in my life and even more grateful to have received a message through the reading of her book that I didn't know I needed. I am now committed to becoming an alchemist, I will nurture hope so that my possibilities become realities. Thank you, Sophia.