Feature Friday- Gladys Aylward

There has been many a book written about this 'small' woman. There even was a Hollywood movie done about her life, which she later wished she had not allowed to go forward. Those involved with the movie took artistic license and changed the story. 


So what was her real story? A domestic worker who failed to get into a formal mission sending board. A woman who just was willing to go wherever God wanted her to go. Finally, she took her entire life's savings and bought herself a ticket to China. This 'insignificant' woman ended up touching many lives. 

 Gladys Aylward once said, " I wasn't God's first choice for what I've done for China. I don't know who it was. It must have been a man--a well educated man...I don't know what happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn't willing. And God looked down...and saw Gladys Aylward, and God said, 'Well, she's willing.'" 

I, personally, think she was definitely God's first choice for all she put her hand to in China. Her willingness to do whatever needed to be done made her a powerful woman. As I said, there are many books written about her life, but I think the best one is, "The Little Woman" 

Feature Friday- The Peking Stitch

Several years ago, I wrote a book about my grandmother. Her story is a fascinating story and I enjoyed researching and writing it. When I finished the project, I was left with bins and bins of research. Newspaper articles, history notes and scribbles about life in China during the first part of the 1900's. 

As I flipped through the research, it occurred to me this material could be used to write a fictional story.  This is when Mei Ling introduced herself to me...she rose up from the crinkled pages of my research and pranced through my brain. She teased me from the old photographs I held.  She prodded me day and night until, The Peking Stitch was conceived.

I sat with my daughters and we discussed Mei Ling and her life. We met her father and her mother. We followed her into her society parties and felt her heart breaks.  


I only regretted I was not a fictional writer- I've never pretended to be. Non-fiction has been a medium I'm more comfortable with. The moment I try my hand at fiction, the characters move robotic-ally across the page. So after chapter four of The Peking Stitch, I shoved the manuscript into a drawer and forgot all about it.

Lately, Mei Ling has been calling me. She wants to get out of the drawer. She feels stifled in there. She seems to be saying, "Okay you might not be the best person to introduce me to others, but at least let me meet them!" 

So....I've agreed...I released her....On the 21st of  Jan, 2012...I allowed Mei Ling to emerge ever so slowly. A bit of a chapter in one post, another little bit in another post....you can meet Mei Ling at The Peking Stitch. Be sure to start at the beginning and remember, this will be an ongoing project....I'd love to have you join me on this endeavor.