The Journal of the Water and the Light

In her journal, foreboding dreams preface Xie Shi Xin’s departure from China with her daughter Xiao Yan to join her husband in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Upon arrival, a new friend Song, invites her to join a conversation class in the basement of a church given by a Catholic priest—Fr. David Fenster. The study of vocabulary and The Little Prince free her from a long-felt stagnancy to move from observing the surface of things to understanding their significances. These friends and factors prepare her to face the most tragic event in her life. Five children’s stories in her journal—“The Lonely Cicada,” “The Unmarried Princess,” “The Ugly Dragon,” “The Lost Toy,” and “The Little Girl and the Friendly Chicken” provide further insight into the heart of woman who comes to understand Eagar Allan Poe’s words—“There is a thin line between sadness and beauty.”