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Synopsis
A powerful true story of how a Taiwanese immigrant bride––disowned by her father, abandoned by her American husband; homeless, penniless, and inarticulate in English––defies cultural expectations and creates her own destiny.
Allison Hong isn’t a typical fifteen-year-old Taiwanese girl. Unwilling to bend to the conditioning of her Chinese culture, which demands that women submit to men’s will, she disobeys her father’s demand to stay in their faith tradition, Buddhism, and instead joins the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Six years later, she drops out of college to serve a mission—a decision for which her father disowns her.
After serving her mission in Taiwan, Allison marries her Chinese-speaking American boyfriend, Cameron Chastain. But just over a year later, Allison returns home to their Texas apartment and is shocked to discover that Cameron has taken all their money, moved out, and filed for divorce. Desperate for love and acceptance, Allison moves to Utah and enlists in an unforgiving dating war of her own making, pitting her against the bachelorettes at Brigham Young University. It doesn’t take long before she realizes the rules she’s made up don’t make sense—and winning isn’t what she thought it would be.
An award-winning memoir, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops is for anyone who has struggled with gender inequality, racism, and immigrant injustice. Ultimately, it’s about a strong woman of color determined to create her own path.
Author Bio
Allison is a loveaholic, a Taiwanese immigrant, and an award-winning author who shares her Chinese culture with strong storytelling skills to create empowering books that build understanding and love. She earned an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work appears in the New York Times. Her debut memoir, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops, has won over 40 independent book awards. She is a keynote speaker, instructor, and panelist at various writer’s conferences nationwide and in Asia. She also appears on TV, radio, and podcasts; in magazines, newspapers, and journals. Visit her at allisonhongmerrill.com to sign up for her monthly email.
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