Kat Chow chronicles her loss to help us navigate our own

A side-by-side photo of a woman and a book cover.
Kat Chow is a journalist and writer. She was previously at reporter at NPR, where she was a founding member of the Code Switch team. Her debut book is a memoir, “Seeing Ghosts.”
Photo, Ariel Zambelich | Book cover courtesy of Grand Central Publishing

Losing a parent at a young age shapes a person. In her debut memoir, “Seeing Ghosts,” Kat Chow pours her grief onto the page and examines how the loss of her mother when she was only 13 both marked her and made her into who she is today.

She also looks back at past generations of her family to examine how their journey from China and Hong Kong to Cuba and America both marked and made them.

Her book asks what it means to reclaim and tell your family story. Is it a form of exorcism? Or is it a way to hold on to those we loved and lost?

Listen to Kerri Miller’s fascinating conversation about big books and bold ideas, as she talks with Chow about her new book and family identity.

Guest:

  • Kat Chow is a journalist and writer. She was previously a reporter at NPR, where she was a founding member of the Code Switch team. Her debut book is a memoir, “Seeing Ghosts.”

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