The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

by Jamie Ford

In America, a lie becomes the truth with sufficient repetition. I merely tell the crowd what they need to hear to be satisfied.”

“Women are born to lead lives of inconsistency.” She tried not to cry as she held Afong’s hands. “While it is our curse, it can also be our strength.”

“We don’t have to grieve only those we know. Sometimes we grieve for that which was lost, that which was never allowed to be.”

“But that’s the point, isn’t it, to keep learning, to grow, to do more good than harm, to create compassion, to understand that every person you encounter is not there by coincidence? All of us play a role in another person’s life.”