Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops By Allison Hong Merrill

• ASIN: ‎ B08QZGQQMG
• Publisher: ‎ She Writes Press (21 Sept. 2021)
• Language: ‎ English
• Genre: Memoirs

SUMMARY: Allison Hong is not your 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. Then, six years later, she drops out of college to serve a mission—a decision for which her father disowns her.

The BookViral Review:

Emotionally charged and powerfully thought-provoking, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops proves a remarkable debut memoir from Allison Hong Merrill. Sharing reflections on her life that articulate the complexities, failings, contradictions and triumphs of love and cultural identity.

It’s an incredibly emotive read that will leave few hearts untouched whilst proffering a unique and inspirational perspective on the choices we make and the struggles that ultimately define us.

Told in thematic prose, yet avoiding unnecessary complexity, Merrill ensures her story is never held hostage to the subject with timely observed relationship dynamics, anecdotes and social commentary providing for an often heart-wrenching exploration of the enduring power of the human spirit to overcome life’s challenges.

It’s a feat to which many memoir authors might aspire, but few achieve with such faultless finesse with Merrill refusing to cast herself in the role of victim. And through her openness, we are reminded of the power of faith when forced to travel the path of adversity.

She reminds us there is drama in daily existence! That regular people sometimes do extraordinary things-like changing their lives for the better, dragging themselves up out of seemingly hopeless situations, or living through a soul-destroying experience.

An exceptional read Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops is recommended without reservation.