FORMOSA FILES PODCAST S4-E21: Beggar Boy - an incredible tale of resilience
Lai Dongjin 賴東進 was born into a “beggar family.” His dad is blind, his mom has a mental illness. He has 11 siblings! Many born into such a disadvantaged position would throw up their hands, blame fate, and quit the fight for life. But Lai refused to surrender – no matter how high the odds. His 2000 autobiography "Beggar Boy" was a best-seller (no English version) and today, Formosa Files brings you his remarkable story.
Cover left: "Beggar boy" Lai Dongjin 賴東進 shows off a certificate for merit in school (Via Author.crown.com). Center: Now best-selling author Lai Dongjin 賴東進 (Via KKNews.com). Right: The cover of Lai's book, 乞丐囝仔 Qǐgài jiǎnzǐ (Beggar Boy, 2000).
#formosafiles #podcasts #taiwan #history #formosa
--
The Formosa Files podcast is sponsored by the FRANK CHEN FOUNDATION (陳啟川先生文教基金會)
Website: https://www.frank-chen.org.tw/
This top-rated history podcast tells stories from the history of Formosa (Taiwan) from circa 1600 C.E. - 2000 C.E., via interesting, lesser-known short stories presented in a non-chronological order.
HOSTS: John Ross is an author and co-founder of publisher Camphor Press, which specializes in books on Taiwan and China in English, while Eryk Michael Smith has worked as a writer and journalist for multiple media outlets in Taiwan, including the island's only English-language radio station ICRT (FM 100.7). Both Ross and Smith have lived in Taiwan for well over 20 years and call the island home.
