Amy Kwei

A graduate of St. John's University (BA) and Vassar College (MA). She is retired from teaching in Bennett College and Dutchess Community College. she has twice won the Talespinner Competition sponsored by the Poughkeepsie Journal. One of the judges, Michael Korda, commented: "Has a very strong cultural appeal, and gives the reader a quick, instant understanding of Chinese values, and how they differ from our own. As well, it is simply written, perhaps the best written of all the stories here." Her young adult novel Intrigue in the House of Wong was published in 2009. Her short stories, children's stories, and essays have appeared in many magazines. Amy is working on Under the Red Moon. a sequel to A Concubine for the Family. An excerpt from the book was published as a short story in the Skollie magazine of the Aspen Writers Foundation.

A Concubine for the Family covers a tumultuous era in Chinese history beginning in 1937 and ending in 1941. It also explores the circumstances surrounding the true-life event of her grandmother's gift of a concubine to her grandfather on his birthday. This is also a story of family solidarity and feminine heroism in times of war and destruction.

Her website is: www.amykwei.com

Amy did a reading and signing of her book at the Aspen Library in Aug 25, 2012 and a Fireside Chat, sponsored by the Yale-China Association on Sep 21, 2012

She was interviewed by Mary Sit of Asian Focus on NBC, Channel 7 in Boston. The interview will be aired in March 2013.