THE RIVER OF CAREGIVING

“In our family, our care for one another flows like a river.”

An unnamed child of Taiwanese descent explores the reciprocal nature of caregiving. A-ma (the young narrator’s grandmother) explains that “the way we care for one another never stops. It connects each generation to the next and back again.” Taking that message to heart, the protagonist tenderly examines a variety of personal relationships. Mama helps A-ma wash and get ready while remembering how A-ma dressed her as a child. The protagonist reflects on how A-gong (Grandfather) “picks me up from school with a smile and a snack”; the child translates for him at his doctors’ appointment. Chung explores how care can be expressed within a family—through “boxes of goodies” sent to those who are far away and by inviting aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives into our homes to “eat and laugh” or to cry. “And even when those we love are no longer with us, we stay connected”—handmade clothing and fruit trees planted by deceased members keep the love flowing. Chung’s deceptively simple narrative brims with a joyful warmth heightened by Gonzales' cozy artwork, textured with waves of blended colors and shapes. Chinese and Taiwanese terms are naturally integrated within the text. The recurring allusion to rivers is an inspired—and beautiful—choice, honoring the love that familial structures provide.

A rare and wonderfully rendered tribute to caregiving throughout the generations.