Gifts of the Heart by Peggy Tan Pek Tao

This book has 18 of short stories that reflect how people’s lives may be affected by a twist of fate and vicissitudes. 

The Monkey God

Yes sir, the boy seemed to be having the time of his life. He forgot that he had been kidnapped for a reason, and figured out that camping in the wilderness would be more interesting than staying in his elegant brick and marbled house in town.

The Phoenix

Su Mei’s mother used to tell her, “The phoenix in Chinese mythology represents the union of yin and yang and how seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world.”

The Gardener

You know the popular saying, to win a man’s heart is by feeding his stomach; I heard this somewhere.