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Nancy Chen Baldwin's early life – when she was sold by her parents to a bargirl for US$100 – might sound like something out of a novel set in the Middle Ages. But the old practices of selling, “lending,” giving, and unofficial adoption of children persisted in Taiwan until relatively recent times. Nancy, in many ways, was one of the lucky ones; she wasn't sold to a brothel, as some other young girls were back in the post-war years when Taiwan was desperately poor. But her tale of suffering, relocating to the USA, and finally triumphing over her demons deserves to be heard, as it's both educational and inspirational. Nancy released her book “One Thousand Layers of Water and Clouds: The Tale of A Taiwanese Daughter” in September 2023, and not long after, she spoke with Eryk from her home in the United States.
Cover and all pictures below, courtesy of Nancy Chen Baldwin. Cover images shows Nancy (賴水雲), at the age of five in 1955, the same year she was sold to a bargirl for US$100.
Read David Frazier’s review of Nancy's book “One Thousand Layers of Water and Clouds.”
BUY the book HERE.
1. Grace, the woman who purchased Nancy in 1955 (Date of photo unknown).
2. Nancy (left), and Grace posing for pictures to be used on travel documents prior to their relocation to the United States in the early 1960s.
3. Nancy's birth parents (date photo taken unknown).
4. Nancy Chen Baldwin signs copies of her book shortly after its release. Nancy told Eryk that if she could tell Taiwanese young people – especially young women – one thing, it would be: "Don't be afraid!"
One Thousand Layers of Water and Clouds: The Tale of A Taiwanese Daughter – September 22, 2023
Current ADOPTION LAWS of the Republic of China.
Related: Taiwan in Time: Mother to the alienated. Former foster daughter Lu Chin-hua avoided the common fate of abuse or forced prostitution, dedicating her life to saving these less fortunate women
Report from 2020: Couple who sold two children get five-year jail terms
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Check our very first episode, the story of a very white man who showed up in London in 1703... and claimed to be from Formosa. Or try a foodie episode from Season 3. Or, for those who want some harder-core history, hear the tale of the Lockheed U-2 pilot Wang Hsi-chueh 王錫爵, who became famous for defecting to the PRC by hijacking China Airlines Flight 334 on May 3, 1986.
