X.H. Collins at the Davenport Public Library Eastern Avenue Branch -- May 22.
Wednesday, May 22, 6:30 p.m.
Davenport Public Library Eastern Avenue Branch, 6000 Eastern Avenue, Davenport IA
With her most recent publication lauded by the Historical Novel Society as "well-researched" and "beautiful to behold." local author and native of China X.H. Collins will read from and discuss her 2020 novel Flowing Water, Falling Flowers on May 22, the in-person event held as part of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Month celebration at the Davenport Public Library's Eastern Avenue Branch.
Collins was born in Sichuan Province, China, grew up in Kangding on the East Tibet Plateau, and has called Iowa home since 1997. A retired biology professor from Black Hawk College, she has published poems in Mandarin in her native country, and began writing in English in the summer of 2015. Collins' flash fiction and short stories have placed in local writing contests, while the author's short stories have appeared in the Karawane magazine, the MOON magazine, and its anthology. Her essays have also appeared in PastTen, Overachiever Magazine, the London Reader, and the These Interesting Times anthology. She is a regular contributor to Zibby Mag (formerly Moms Don’t Have Time to Write) and Asian Cha: A Literary Journal. Most recently, the Black Lawrence Press has selected her second novel manuscript as a finalist for their Immigrant Writing Series.
Flowing Water, Falling Flowers, which Collins will read from and discuss for the Davenport Library, follows art history professor Rose Ming after she loses her job and her lover in one fell swoop. Ming consequently agrees to accompany her mother on an annual visit to relatives in her Chinese hometown of Three Rivers. Once there, Rose learns that she, her mother, aunt, and her cousin Hong-Mei have all shared a strange dream prompting them to search for an ancestor nobody seems to remember. With her future uncertain, Rose decides to solve the family mystery, and instead unearths an unutterable tragedy hidden for over a hundred years.
Analyzing Flowing Water, Falling Flowers for the Midwest Book Review, senior reviewer D. Donovan raved, "X.H. Collins crafts a masterful tale of intrigue and discovery that traverses lies, truths, spiritual intention, social interaction, and cultural revelation with an equally deft hand," adding that Collins' book "offers a cultural, social, and psychological inspection that is as literary and compelling as its title. It is highly recommended as a journey of discovery and change that will appeal to anyone interested in the lasting impact of Chinese heritage and culture."
X.H. Collins will deliver her local presentation at the Davenport Public Library's Eastern Avenue Branch on May 22, participation in the 6:30 p.m. event is free, and more information is available by calling (563)326-7832 and visiting DavenportLibrary.com.
