Virtual Book Club Discussion: Kim Liao’s “Where Every Ghost Has a Name”

Taipei Times | An American granddaughter’s quest to unravel her family’s murky history has resulted in an outstanding biography of Thomas Liao and the fight for Taiwanese independence

Saturday, February 15, 2025 – 10AM – 11:30AM | Webex

“Where Every Ghost Has a Name” Intergenerational Book Club Discussion (English)

Join the Taiwanese American Federation of Northern California for an intergenerational virtual book club discussion on Kim Liao’s memoir, “Where Every Ghost Has a Name: A Memoir of Taiwanese Independence.” The discussion will be primarily in English (Taiwanese or Mandarin comments welcome) and moderated by Leona Chen. Registration required for link to participate.

10:00AM – Opening remarks & introduction

10:05 – 11:00AM – Guided discussion

11:00 – 11:30AM  – Open discussion/reflection

Webex Link: https://tafnc.webex.com/tafnc/j.php?MTID=me53461d53930b8d37bef9c8cfe36a4b2

Book Club Discussion Questions – 

• Before reading this book, how would you describe the major aspirations of the Taiwanese independence movement? How does reading this book impact that answer, if at all?
• What was your impression of Thomas Liao 廖文毅 prior to reading the book (if you had one)? How does Kim’s memoir complicate, challenge, or change that?
• Several prominent figures of the Taiwanese independence movement are mentioned in the book. Who do you recognize? What surprised you about how they are characterized? What questions would you ask them today, if you could? 
• The memoir reveals the profound sacrifices each member of the Liao family made, willingly and not. What choices or circumstances resonated with you? Why?
• Which character did you find most intriguing? Why?
• How would you describe the central tension of this book? Did it feel resolved by the end?
• For Kim, the seminal text that drew her to this era of Taiwanese political history was Formosa Betrayed. What was yours? How did it make you feel? What do you remember about that reading experience?
• How does this memoir contribute to or expand Taiwanese American literature? What is the significance of discussing and reading this with a multigenerational Taiwanese American community?

Writing/Reflection Prompts – 

• Who is a person in your life (family, friend, community member) you would like to learn more about? What stories have you heard about them? Write 5 questions you would ask them today, if you could.
• If you could learn more about a historical event from the perspective of someone in your life who lived through it, who/what would it be? Why?
• Much of this book grapples with the difficulty of writing about real people in a public way; some of the characters mentioned were reluctant to be written about; others are no longer here to give their explicit consent. If someone close to you were to write about you, how would you feel? What would you want to know? What would you be proud to share? What would you be uncomfortable sharing?