I will survive

When you find your life in a turmoil and hoping for a change you never know when the darkness will be lifted, and the sun will begin shining and sending you in a different direction. Elon made his way to Taiwan and met whether by chance or just plain kismet, Brigitte. No money and no prospects for employment or his future, meeting Belgium model and agent, Brigitte would change both of their lives and give a special meaning to the word Survive!

Elon came to Taiwan and with her help settled in a hostel at first. Wanting to learn Mandarin and attending classes enabled him to get a student visa assuring him that he would be able to remain in Taiwan. But he needed more than the visa, he needed to get a teaching position and was lucky that one came to him. Teaching 20 hours and then asked by the man who owned the school where he taught to take on a special young lady would later into his tutoring create problems in other ways .

The days are interesting, and the manager of the Hostel realizes he us I’ll and sends him to the hospital where they diagnose him, and he must be there for months. The bill is high and Brigitte vines to his rescue, and you realize that she has feelings for him as they share, they pasts and learn why Elon misses the farm his parents lost and why Brigitte left hers behind .

The author shares the history of Taiwan the food , culture and traditions as Elon decides to move in with her when leaving the hospital. Will it work out?

Both Elon and Brigitte have different yet similar goals and he wants to teach and learn Mandarin but there is someone that will create a conflict between them and being sort of innocent and naïve he does not realize that his friendship with one of his students upsets Brigitte. Expressing her concerns and realizing that Jean, the student has her own agenda in mind, she would like him to not see her outside of the classroom but the owner of the school wants her father’s business and connections so he agrees but will this tear them apart?
Getting to know each other we learn about his Elon wants to not only teach but decides to sing in a club. At first the audience does not respond but being a little more aggressive he takes the microphone and one more time the audience really likes him allowing him to sing at this club again.

Throughout the novel we learn more about Elon and his need to be accepted, wanted and yet although Brigitte is loyal to him for some reason Jean provides another outlet. It’s as if he needs to prove something to himself that he can gain the interest of women other than Brigitte. Added in we learn about his childhood and his need to like girls in his class and others along the way all the while Brigitte listens and yet she falls for him. She has their life in the future mapped out but will it work out?
Elon loves to entertain and he gets another chance through someone else and although this seems to be his life, she wants to return to Belgium and help run her father’s farm. He would love the chance to do this too but his need to explore different avenues in life, learn more about Buddhism, travel the country where they are and see more of it seems paramount to Elon. Added in we learn more about what each one wants in the future and we wonder if he sees what is right in front of him. Yet, she seems to have it all figured out and when she suggests they get married how will it affect his job in the school with Mr. Chu? What about his parents and her father? Her father has someone else in mind for her?
The history of Taiwan, the government changes and the history about Mao and the communist regime and how his demise will change the country somewhat but it will still be a communist regime is interesting to the reader and we wonder if Taiwan will change too.

Things go in many different directions as we learn more about what happened when he got bullied, what happened to change him and will he become stronger as a result of meeting Brigitte. Of course she is smart and got even with him when his skin got infected and she used something that burned and certainly would help him heal but he had it coming.

So many are so absorbed with wealth, power and material things all they wanted was a start in life but first they had to deal with their ideals, differences and needs hoping they would compliment each other.

A story that shows what happens when two people and a nation struggle just to exist and hopefully survive with more than just material things, wealth, but with hope, love and the ability to love unconditionally.

As the author relates in an interview that Taiwan intrigues him because of the ancient culture in the Far East. He talks about the Republic of China where the old establishment from the mainland escaped to this small tobacco shaped island in the Pacific near by.

He continues in the novel and in his interview explaining that the communist regime led by Rao was ruthlessly in power on the mainland and the Chinese population on Taiwan was struggling to survive as Elon and Brigitte were.

Their attraction, their ability to compliment each other and even more it was as if he was telling this story form his own experiences and he is Elon.

She helped him find work. She was gorgeous and she helped him live.  We realize because of her Elon can say with pride and assurance: I WILL SURVIVE!
Told in the first person once again author Larry Farmer presents a story that is true to life, although fiction you wonder how much is real.

Fran Lewis: Just reviews