I feel privileged to have been one of the editors during its publication. As an editor, not only was I looking for spelling and grammar problems, but I had quite a bit to do with shaping the manuscript. Some bits were moved around to put them in a little better order, to make the book easier to read. Some bits of the original manuscript were cut, because the memories meandered into essays on social or political subjects, and the book was meant to be a memoir. Mostly, the editing was simply polishing the uncut gem that had been presented, and making it sparkle in its present form.
Jaqi Wade grew up in California, the daughter of a farm laborer and a nurse. She lived through the Great Depression, and was fortunate enough that although they moved often as her father sought work, they were never starving or homeless. She lived through the fear that stalked all Californians during WWII; that there would be mainland strikes similar to Pearl Harbor.
Later in her life, she and her husband joined a missionary group headed for Brazil. They packed up their three children and very few of their possessions and moved to South America. She coped with her new language and culture. As her husband was the mission's pilot, she often had to function as though she were a single parent, raising her children, working, and adjusting to her new home on her own.
Meanwhile, the United States was consumed with the social turmoil of the late sixties and early seventies. She read about the events as they were presented by international news sources, but never really experienced the changes with the rest of the citizens. By the time she returned home, the language, culture, and technology were utterly foreign to her, and she found that the reverse culture shock of her return was harder to deal with than her initial move to Brazil, not least because she was completely unprepared for it.
Come read the remarkable story of a woman who's lived life on two continents. Meet Jaqi Wade, Jenny's daughter.
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