Double Luck

When Lu Chi Fa’s parents died in 1944, he was only three years old. The timing of the tragedy could not have been worse– it was a time of political turmoil and severe hardship in China.  Few people willingly took in orphans, and Chi Fa’s extended family was no exception.  The young boy was shuffled from one house to another as his relatives turned him away, one by one.  Even his loving sister was forbidden by her husband to take him under her roof.

Chi fa was always hungry, often cold, and frequently beaten.  But through all his struggles, he held onto his sister’s hopeful words: “You are lucky, Chi Fa. Good fortune will find you.”

This stirring memoir of a painful childhood tells a story of resilience and courage, and attests to the power of even small acts of kindness.