NEW BOOK BY CHINESE AUTHOR
TO CELEBRATE THE 120TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
As part of the activities to celebrate the 120th
anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, the National Park Service
will host, at 11 AM, February 16 at the Immigration Museum of
Ellis Island in New York, a very special publication ceremony
of a children¡¯s book The Holy Spark: Rogel and Goddess of Liberty
by Yu Li, an author from China who was inspired to write the book
when, twenty years ago, she saw Lady Liberty on Chinese television
covering the monument¡¯s centennial. The co-sponsors of the event
include the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, and Asian
Cultural Center of New York, among others.
According to Frank Mills, Assistant Superintendent
of the Statue of Liberty National Moment and Ellis Island, there
will be two versions of the book to be released simultaneously:
an English edition published by the New Jersey-based Homa &
Sekey Books (www.homabooks.com) and a Chinese edition by the Beijing-based
People¡¯s Literature Publishing House. A special collector¡¯s edition
of The Holy Spark with signatures of the United Nations officials
and representatives from more than 180 countries has already been
presented to the Museum of Ellis Island, which becomes the only
item the museum has ever sourced from China since World War II.
The Holy Spark tells how an angel named Rogel from
Paradise Star meets Kally from the Blue Planet, who wanted to
conquer the earth but was subdued by the guards of the Goddess
of Liberty, resulting in his three thousand years of imprisonment
in a heavenly lake. Touched by the sincerity of Rogel, Kally confessed
and regretted his follies. Rogel decides to help Kally regain
his freedom. With his friend Yoyo, a red-haired little fox, Rogel
starts his journey to look for the Goddess of Liberty who has
the power to free Kally from the imprisonment. On their way, Rogel
and Yoyo defeat numerous monsters and devils who try to stop them
and save many kindhearted people. In the end, Rogel succeeds in
obtaining the Holy Spark and lights the torch in the hand of the
Goddess of Liberty at her birthday. With a golden key from the
Goddess of Liberty, Rogel unlocks Kally¡¯s bondage and sets him
free.
Yu Li was a designer and manager of a glassware
company in China. She spent several years writing the fantasy-filled
novel The Holy Spark and had its Chinese edition published in
1993. With the help of an American diplomat in China, Yu Li came
to the United States in 2001 to present the special collector¡¯s
edition of The Holy Spark to the Museum of Ellis Island. One can
find an interesting parallel in the book and the author, in the
novel, Rogel experiences a rough journey to look for the Goddess
of Liberty; in real life, Yu Li had to travel a long way before
she could realize her dream of getting her book published in America,
home of the Statue of Liberty.
Newsday calls the book ¡°¡ a message of love, peace
and freedom to the peoples of the world.¡± Barry Moreno, historian
and author of The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia writes in the
foreword to the book that ¡°The Holy Spark is a splendid novel
in the great tradition of Alice in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard
of Oz, and The Chronicles of Narnia. It is perfect for young readers
and will keep them highly entertained for hours.¡±
After the book release event, the Statue of Liberty
National Monument will launch an essay competition to celebrate
the 120th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. The competition
is targeted at middle and elementary school students in the greater
New York area with one of the themes being ¡°My Thoughts on The
Holy Spark.¡±
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Book Information
The Holy Spark: Rogel and Goddess of Liberty by Yu Li
Published by Homa & Sekey Books, February 1, 2006
Hardcover, 260 pages, $16.99, ISBN: 1931907420
Available at Baker & Taylor Books, Amazon.com,
and from the publisher www.homabooks.com
If you would like to invite the author to speak
at your school or organization, please contact Iris Zhou at the
above.
